


And They Were Roommates (Oh My God They Were Roommates)

by LuckyPossums



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Anal Fingering, Angel!Lifeline, Begging, Bloodhound wants a clean apartment, Bondage, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub, Domestic Fluff, Elliott wants hugs, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, Incubus!Mirage, Lingerie, Oral Sex, Other, Overstimulation, Pining, Praise Kink, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Vampire Crypto | Park Tae Joon, Witch!Wraith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:00:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23360590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyPossums/pseuds/LuckyPossums
Summary: At the start of every season, Bloodhound makes a prayer of protection in their loft to ward off unwanted presences. Unfortunately, a mistake made by a friend leaves them with the opposite effect.Now, they're stuck with a semi-permanent roommate, an incubus named Elliott who's bound to their apartment. Turns out that he's apparently made it his life goal to get under Bloodhound's skin for as long as they're stuck together.
Relationships: Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 75
Kudos: 232





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all set in an urban fantasy AU where supernatural or mythical beings are generally incorporated within society (not without the odd hiccup or two of course). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this fic because I sure enjoyed writing it!

Bloodhound was thoroughly unimpressed.

At least now they had a reason to validate their lack of enthusiasm for social interaction. After all, the only reason that they were in this situation was because they had accepted an invitation to a small dinner celebration after a successful goliath hunt with their fellow hunters.

There was nothing wrong with a celebration of course but they had their routines after a successful hunt. Few beast hunters possessed the ability to remain in the profession for long which often meant that group hunts were difficult to organise. Yet, Bloodhound had found themselves pairing with other skilled hunters recently.

While Lifeline and Wattson were certainly skilled, Bloodhound had yet to indulge in their routine celebratory dinners they took part in after hunts. However, today Lifeline had distracted the goliath from getting close enough to crush in their head when they had been knocked over and they felt indebted to her.

The night was pleasant enough though Bloodhound's mistake was when they had mentioned that they had to return home before midnight. It was the solstice and as per their tradition, they needed to make in prayer in order to protect their home from unwanted visitors, more often than not of the supernatural kind.

It was a simple form act. A unique mix of magic and prayer that would ensure several basic protections to their home. It had served them rather well, until last season when a small swarm of adolescent flyers had tracked them to their home from a hunt and had ruined their loft. The creatures had made them lose half a dozen of their favourite knives and had terrorised Artur too. Worst of all it left them with a dozen frustrated neighbours, a red-faced landlord, and a stern warning that they would be evicted if a single more incident occurred.

They weren't necessarily attached to the apartment. Still, they didn't want to go to the trouble of moving when they were perfectly content with their apartment. Afterall, There were few apartments in Solace with a balcony that looked out to the park below where Artur liked to peruse during the day while Bloodhound was out.

The problem according to Wattson was that their spell wasn't quite resilient or inclusive of enough protection methods. Bloodhound was hardly an expert on spellcraft, unlike Wattson who conjured walls of lightning during battles. So during dinner, they hadn't thought to check twice when she dug into her bag and offered them a piece of paper with a sigil and a dozen words in an arcane language they weren't fluent in. After all, there was no reason to consider if Wattson was trying to play a prank on them or if she had simply grabbed the wrong piece of paper.

Because if they had asked twice then they wouldn't be in this situation now.

In front of them within the gold smoke that had erupted from the sigil was the unmistakable silhouette of a person. Something that shouldn't have been the outcome of any protection ritual.

When the gold smoke cleared through their window they were staring at the mostly naked man in front of them. They could at least be thankful that he was still wearing underwear. Although that term might be generous considering the thin black shorts didn't leave much to the imagination. Especially since the whole look seemed to be accentuated by the thigh-high black boots he was wearing that in combination with the shorts only left of a small strip of his thighs to see.

Obviously, the first thing Bloodhound did was pick up the woolly blanket on their couch and throw it at him.

"Woah, hey if you wanted me to show up wearing a bit more you could have included that in your message," he laughed as he rearranged the blanket like a towel, "you want me to do a bit of a strip show or something?"

In a moment of panic, they reached first for their face and took a breath of relief when they found their mask was still set in place. Perhaps, in that regard they were lucky but the rest of this on the other hand…

Bloodhound had only personally known one other succubus in their lifetime. However, despite Wattson's apparent fondness for leather and pointed pink horns and hair, she never struck them as a mythical succubus of legend. Of course, most legends were filled with rude stereotypes and odd tales that never quite stuck to reality.

That is to say, _most_ of those brash stereotypes turned out to be untrue when compared to their own experiences. But this man, this incubus, really had nailed down most of those legends like an art. After Bloodhound took in the chocolate curls their eyes went straight to the delicate horns nestled in his hair. It was almost ridiculous that his hair was what they had first noticed first, especially considering the bright black wings on his back. Especially since those wings had just knocked over a lovely potted cactus of theirs. Although they still certainly noticed that beneath that taught blackness there was a faint sense of a pattern of gold underneath that Bloodhound quickly realised must have been golden blood.

Even though he had a blanket wrapped around his waist now he was still shirtless, Bloodhound couldn't exactly blame him on that one, it probably would be hell trying to get a shirt over those wings. Their examination of his non-human aspects ended at his tail, clearly, he'd purposefully wrapped the blanket low enough so that his tail was free and had room to swish about behind him.

"You're not supposed to be here," they stated while their eyes trailed to the handle of their axe on their coat stand by the door.

His eyebrows raised, "huh? Are we doing like a roleplay thing here? Big naughty incubus gets accidentally summoned?"

"You _were_ accidentally summoned."

"Seriously, I'm totally fine with it but you could at least stand to sound a little bit convincing," he told them and stretched his wings while looking around their apartment. "So mind if I get a peek under that mask of yours, I tend to like to know what I'm getting into."

"No."

"Eh, that's fine too, mystery can pretty intriguing too," he said with a shrug.

They pressed their hand to the temple of their mask and sighed, "I was trying to cast a protection spell, you were the last thing I expected to happen."

He let out a low whistle, "damn you must not be a good mage."

"I don't practice this sort of magic," they argued, "I borrowed the spell from a work acquaintance, she was a succubus but I wouldn't expect her to purposefully do this."

"What so just 'cause she's a succubus that means she's out to screw with people?"

"I didn't mean to offend-"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you most of us are dicks and I probably would have done the same thing," he giggled a bit. "C'mon let me see the spell."

They paused for a second, hardly eager to take their eyes off of him but eventually they picked the scrap of paper off of the kitchen counter and handed it to him.

His hands trailed over the writing for a few moments before he huffed a laugh. "This is my contact info buddy," he said.

"It was meant to be a protection ritual," they reiterated.

He stepped out of the sigil on the ground and took a long step towards them while he gestured to the paper. "See?" He asked. "This sigil here's my title 'Mirage' and my normal name 'Elliott' in the language, then the rest of it is asking me to come down and say hi and stuff. Also, who'd you get this from again? Just wondering 'cause they know my name."

"Her name is Wattson," they said.

"You mean Natalie?" He asked and continued when they notched their head notch in confusion. "A ton of people with magical bloodlines tend to have a title or a stage name, you know like I've got 'Mirage', then they also have their birth name."

They weren't particularly interested in that right now. Their main concern was how to get him out of their apartment as soon as possible. Natalie just might be able to help with that.

They wrestled their hand into the pocket of their hunter's jacket and pulled out their phone. It only took a moment to turn on since they'd kept it turned off during the battle with the unhinged goliath and hadn't bothered to turn it back on afterwards.

When they did turn it on their screen was filled with bright green notifications from Wattson's work contact number. They scrolled to the top of the messages and started reading them.

10:02: _Thanks for coming out tonight with Lifeline and I! Hope we can team up for another fight again in the future :)_

10:05: _Sorry, just realised that I accidentally gave you wrong spell! You've got the contact information for my friend so just ignore that, I'm sending you a photo of the actual spell now. So sorry!_

10:06: _[Image attached]_

10:10: _I'm probably overthinking it but please tell if you've seen my message!_

10:12: _Bloodhound?_

10:15: _Ohhhhhhhh no_

10:17: _Please pick up my calls! I have no idea where you live either!_

10:20: _DON'T USE THE SPELL IT'S THE WRONG ONE!_

10:23: _Please don't file a complaint about me to HR._

10:25: _Bloodhound? Please tell you haven't used the spell yet if you have an existing protection ritual._

10:27: _If you did, and I'm praying that you didn't, then it'll latch on to any seasonal or annual ritual spells that you have and Elliott will be bound to the land you marked under the protection ritual._

10:30: _But I'm sure it's fine! You're probably not even home yet! Right?_

10:32: _Just tell Elliott to call the union with his ID and they can cancel the summon out as long as it's sourced through them!_

10:35: _Bloodhound?_

10:40: _Merde_

They stopped reading at that point and looked back up at the incubus who was leaning against their kitchen counter. The blanket was still in place around his waist though they took a second to notice how the series of straps around his chest and his arms led up to the black choker on his neck.

Bloodhound snapped their eyes away and back to his gold-flecked ones and said, "Wattson says that she gave me the wrong spell, I didn't read the language and didn't have any reason to doubt her."

The incubus, Elliott, if Wattson's texts were to believed, grinned and showed off his slightly pointed canines, "sounds like Nat. Don't get me wrong she's one of the smartest people I know but she can be a bit scatterbrained sometimes."

"You're not leaving," they stated like they couldn't believe what Wattson had texted them.

"Oh, so you do want to do something now?" He asked with exaggerated innocence.

They shook their head, "of course not."

"Ouch, not going to lie that kind of hurts."

Bloodhound read through the messages once again and asked him, "I have a ritual spell of protection which I renew every season, unfortunately, Wattson believes that your summoning may have extended the ritual spell and inadvertently trapped you here."

"I'm trapped?" He shouted, eyes going wide. "You're pulling my tail!"

"No you're not exactly trapped according to Wattson," they told him.

He gave a quiet sigh, "phew, well maybe next time lead with the good news."

Bloodhound wasn't necessarily leaping to take advice from the half-naked man in their apartment who had knocked over one of their favourite cacti with his wings.

"I am unsure what she means," they started, "but she claims that if you sourced the summon through… a 'union' I believe she's saying. Then you can call them and they are able to cancel to summon and free you from here."

"Ah, right, y-yeah the union," he said weakly, "um, g-great news totally."

They frowned, "you don't sound like you think it's great news."

He made a pained grown sound and buried his face into his hands. "Um, so no big deal, well actually super big deal, but I'm not part of SUCC anymore."

"Pardon?" They asked because they weren't sure if they heard that correctly.

"You know, S-U-C-C?"

They almost wished that they weren't wearing their mask so they Elliott could see their deadpan expression. "I'm afraid that I don't understand what you're referring to."

He pulled his hands back from his face, "stands for the Succubi Union for Community Considerations. But of course, Incubi are included in that too."

"Just," they paused and sighed, "why?"

"Hey it's a very serious thing for some people," he protested. "You know a century ago we never had a support group for us and then less than a decade ago somebody started it. I mean back then it was super duper dodgy. Like anyone could summon you and you wouldn't even know who it was until you turned up and when that happened humans could trap and bind you there. Super unethical and stuff."

"That wasn't my point."

"It wasn't?"

They rolled their eyes underneath their mask and asked, "why the name?"

Elliott blinked innocently, "oh? Believe it or not, that was a total accident and the name stuck."

"But-" they stopped their curiosity. I didn't matter, they just needed Elliott to contact them. "Fine, how do they cancel summons?"

"So if you're a member you get a sigil that you hand out to people," he explained, "and when they try to summon you the union gets notified and can check up on that person. If they find them guilty of criminal behaviour or bad intentions to the succubus or incubus then the union can cancel the summon on their end."

That was…A surprisingly developed system, Bloodhound settled on. They'd never quite considered that problem. Their work as a hunter rarely took them to deal with humanoid magical beings, they preferred to fight the beasts that tended to breathe fire or were as tall as apartment blocks.

"Very well, contact them then," they told him with a nod.

Elliott gave a weak laugh, "well um, the thing is, well I might have been kicked out of the union a while back."

"You were kicked out," they said slowly, "of a union. How?"

They were expecting something awful in response. Perhaps a story about infighting leading to fierce battle wounds or stripping of wings.

They weren't expecting a ramble about bureaucracy to tumble out from Elliott's mouth.

"Look it's harder than you think it requires way more commitment than I could do and you have to pay this annual fee and stuff! And they're super strict too!" He began ranting. "Like they have to background check everyone you get summoned by! This one time I kept getting my summons cut off by some guy who commits tax fraud and the union said I couldn't get summoned by anyone who had a criminal record. Who even cares about tax fraud, I mean it's one of the sexier crimes to commit you get what I mean?"

"Not at all."

Elliott continued like they hadn't said a thing, "and when you attend all the meetings you have to bring food, which is fine, but it's not allowed to be store-bought! No store-bought cookies or cake! Ugh, and there was other stuff too...I might have been very vocal about some people who were up their own asses in the community..."

Honestly, if the realisation that Elliott might be stuck here wasn't dawning on them, they might be laughing at that.

"So no one can cancel your summons," they said blankly.

"I'm not really that savvy with magic."

"So if you can't cancel the spell is there any magic you could use to weaken it? Or are you useless?" They asked brashly.

He narrowed his eyes and put a hand over his bare chest with a gasp of faux outrage, "hey don't be rude! I'm not useless I can do all sorts of cool stuff with magic!"

"Such as?"

Elliott made a little 'er' noise and then paused like he was trying to come up with something. Bloodhound folded their arms and watched when a flicker of colour came into his eyes at the same time a grin came across his face. They opened their mouth to ask what he was planning but before they could speak he snapped his fingers and at the same time dropped the blanket around his waist dropped.

Immediately, Bloodhound moved to avert their eyes but realised that it wasn't necessary. Elliott was brushing the flecks of sparks and smoke that had erupted from his fingertips seconds earlier off of his clothes with a satisfied expression on his face.

He did a bit of slow turn around to show off his new outfit. Gone were those boots, instead he was barefoot with a pair of baggy dark red pants that were still low-rise enough that his tail with that tipped love heart on the end could flick around. Apparently, he had solved the issue to his wings, a halter neck backless tank top that wouldn't restrict his wings at all as he moved around.

As if he noticed that Bloodhound had noticed that particular detail he winked and stretched his wings out-

Only for them to knock over and shatter one of their favourite mugs that had been resting with a cup of tea.

"Shit!" He yelped and jumped back to avoid the ceramic shards around his feet. "Ah sorry, do you have paper towels or something?"

They sighed and started digging in their cabinets for a dustpan, "it's fine."

"No, really I feel bad is there something-"

"Don't worry about it Elliott," they told him, "I'm partially responsible for this."

Elliott laughed a bit, "aw you just gave me a call so I checked it out. Why would I be annoyed by that?"

They stared at him for a moment too long while their hands kept on cleaning the mess.

"Elliott," they spoke slowly, "Wattson said that could be stuck here until the next season."

His next laugh was a bit more on the nervous side, "I mean you were kidding about that right? That's not actually something that can really happen right?"

Bloodhound looked towards the door to the exit of their apartment. "Since I moved here every season I do a protection ritual in order to keep…Things like this from happening-"

"Gee thanks."

They continued like they hadn't heard him, "I prepare the ritual every solstice and it lasts until the next."

"What? I can't be stuck inside here for three months!" He exclaimed.

"Listen-"

He was shaking his head and walking towards the door, "nope, no way, no frickin' way."

"Wait," they urged him as his hand closed around the door handle, "perhaps you should not-"

The door opened and Elliott took a step through the door and hit solid air. Or that was what it looked like when Elliott began to push against an invisible wall that blocked him from leaving.

He kept poking it with a finger while he looked at Bloodhound weakly, "this is real. I'm stuck here. For three months."

Bloodhound picked up their phone again, "I'll call Wattson maybe she can-"

"No!" He shouted and raced over to try to grab their phone.

Instinctively, Bloodhound lifted their phone as high above their head as they could and instantly realised how childish it would look. Elliott tried to grab the phone but Bloodhound felt vindicated when they realised that they were taller than him and kept him from reaching the phone.

"Don't call her!" He yelped.

"Why not?" They asked keeping the phone high in the air.

Eventually, Elliott relented and dropped his hands to his sides. "Wattson doesn't know that I dropped out of SUCC - or well uh, got kicked out of it. And it's a super big deal to her because her dad helped found or it something and she does a lot of work with them. But uh, she's not really a gossip and I don't think that she knows yet."

"Why not just tell her?" They asked.

"'Cause she's an angel!" He yelped. "Well…Not really an angel kinda the opposite in some ways but look at her! And I really don't want to disappoint her! When I went freelance it was way harder to do stuff and I realised that I made a mistake and they said I could reapply in six months and be fine."

They narrowed their eyes and stated, "you were going to wait half a year to join again and pretend as if it had never happened."

"Yes, exactly!" He said with a smile before they crossed their arms. "Oh, you were being judgemental. But seriously please don’t tell her I don't want to let her down since she's the one who introduced me in the first place."

They froze in their position. They felt that they owed to tell Wattson the truth, she was a valuable beast hunter who had never attempted to mislead them. Even her mistake tonight was just that, a mistake. Still, Elliott might be stuck in their apartment for the next few months and they felt that they might owe him some comfort.

They looked back at Elliott whose hands were stuck together like he was praying while his face was decorated with a pout and what was no doubt his best attempt at puppy-dog eyes. They'd seen better from Artur, it wouldn't work.

"I need to sleep and think this over," they told him and started heading to their bedroom until they realised that Elliott was trailing behind them.

"Uh, how am I going to eat?" He asked them with a touch of shyness.

They looked back at him blankly, "with your mouth I would presume."

"Haha but seriously?" He asked. For a moment, Bloodhound continued to stare at him without a response and Elliott could imagine that they were blinking. "Did the wings not tip you off? Incubus? Shrivel up unless I can get an outlet?"

"An outlet," they repeated tiredly.

"C'mon, you know what I mean," he jostled them, "sex, good food or blood, classic incubus stuff."

They turned back and picked up the blanket that he had dropped from the ground, "then you are very lucky that I have a fully stocked pantry."

"For three months," Elliott repeated with dullness.

They dropped the blanket back into his arms and pointed him towards the couch, "I'm going to sleep. I suggest you do the same."

They walked back towards their bedroom and as they opened the door they heard Elliott call out. "Uh-huh sure, until I seduce you with my wiles and you fall for me," he said lightly.

"I'm not falling for you."

"Mhm," he agreed with a high pitch that made it clear that he disagreed entirely. "Whatever you say, you're falling for me right now and you don't even know it."

Bloodhound didn't deign to respond to that. They retreated to their room and made sure to lock their door behind them while they took off their mask and gear. As they set their phone aside they noticed another text from Wattson.

11:48: _Please tell me everything turned out alright?_

Perhaps in the morning, they would find a solution to this problem, until they typed a response to Wattson and turned off their phone.

12:11: _I apologise for causing you any worry Wattson. Fortunately, I received your messages before I could complete the summon. Thank you for all your assistance tonight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look you have no idea how tempted I was to name this fic what I did. If I end up hating it I'll definitely change it because I did have an original title. But for now, I couldn't resist naming it this. 
> 
> You probably guessed it but Wattson being a succubus is inspired by her cyberpunk which is gorgeous. But unlike Elliott when you meet her you'll realise that she's quite different from you'd expect (but of course Elliott's never truly acts 100% the way he feels). Pretty much a lot of legends in this are inspired by supernatural/creature/mythical being skins in-game. 
> 
> Outlining this was story was so enjoyable and these two will have a lot of fun :) but also a lot of fun ;) later on. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this drop a kudos and/or comment because they mean the world to me and keeps me writing like a maniac!


	2. Chapter Two

Bloodhound, like a first-time owner of a cat, had looked at Elliott before they went to sleep and thought "how much trouble could he get up to alone?"

It wasn't until the next morning when they awoke that they got their answer. That answer was the sight of Elliott covered in flour and at least half a dozen other ingredients from their kitchen. At one point he must have conjured another outfit because he was wearing a frilly apron that had taken the brunt of the damage. His hair was a dishevelled mess that was wet with  _ something _ , probably the contents of the blender near them that looked as if he had started it without putting the lid on.

When he saw them enter the room he pointed a finger and exclaimed, "there's the liar! Stocked pantry my ass."

They desperately wanted to rub away the sleep still in their eyes. However, they'd been forced to place their mask on in the early morning because of their new houseguest.

"What did you do to my kitchen?" They asked. Truly, they wanted to sound angry but at this point, they were too tired to muster that.

"Hey trust me, it's your kitchen that hates me," he protested.

They took another look at bowls of mixture and the smell of burnt greasy food coming from one of their pans that had been set aside.

"You only had half the ingredients needed to make pancakes but I thought I'd try it out anyway," he said sheepishly.

They sighed, "how did you make this much mess with half the ingredients?"

"Well I started with pancakes but the batter kept on burning and I was trying to make a smoothie with the non-expired vegetables in your fridge but then I forgot to put the lid on," he said while rubbing the back of his head. "And I tried to cook eggs instead but I forgot I was cooking them while trying to clean up the blender."

"You're cleaning this up."

That strong grin appeared back on his face and he said, "don't worry I got it handled."

With a snap of his fingers again his clothes were replaced with a brand new apron that was clear of any mess, including the one in his hair. He stepped around the kitchen counter and gave a spin for them. This apron was certainly…Different from the other plain white one. Its replacement was black and white with more frills to it along with those thigh-high  boots from the night before. It was more reminiscent of a maid's outfit than something practical.

"Well?" He asked coyly.

"I meant to clean up the kitchen, not you."

He groaned and sat on the kitchen counter before he folded his legs. "It's still nice and early," he hummed, "we can dirty before we get clean."

Bloodhound wanted to cringe, "must you?"

"C'mon," he pleaded, "seriously, I'll go crazy if I'm stuck here for three months only getting my kicks by eating."

"And I'll go insane if you never clean up the messes you make," they snapped.

"Alright, alright, I'm on it," he said with a wave while he started to clean.

Bloodhound heard a flutter from behind them as Artur flew into the living room from their bedroom. He didn't seem worried by Bloodhound's new roommate and instead perched beside a bowl of pancake batter and dipped his beak into it.

Elliott shot a smile at the bird, "or maybe this little guy wants to help clean up instead."

"My raven isn't going to fix your problems," they said, "and he isn't very friendly with strangers."

He hopped off the counter and slowly began to approach Artur, which made Bloodhound realise that he was  _ only  _ wearing an apron. "That's what you think," he said smugly, "but trust me us winged sweeties have a way of understanding- ow! Did you just bite me!"

Elliott quickly snapped his hand back from the raven who continued trying to get the chunky parts of the pancake batter. "I warned you," they told him.

"You're not part of the wings club anymore," he declared to the bird. "You know your owner didn't have any meat in their fridge but-"

"Do you seduce most people by threatening to eat their pets?" They asked.

"Well do you, uh-um, do you-," he fumbled, "um, I've got nothing."

Bloodhound whistled and Artur flew onto their shoulder. They were slightly frustrated that despite their high standards for their raven's gourmet diet, he still took every opportunity to steal junk food.

They brushed a gloved finger gently over his beak to get rid of the excess pancake batter. "If you can do magic to clean yourself then why can't you use it to clean to the kitchen?" They asked him.

"That's different because then I'm changing an outfit," he explained as he started to clean out the pan.

They checked their phone, at least at this time there would be some café's that they could take breakfast from. "The only magic that you know is how to change clothes?" They asked.

"Hey, that's very useful magic! And it works on everyone too."

"Except for me apparently?"

He yelped when one of the spoons he was washing splashed water back into his face. "Hey didn't I say last night that I was already wooing you like crazy?" He questioned. "I only got up this early so I could make you some breakfast in bed."

"You are welcome to try on as many ridiculous outfits as you like if it comforts you."

"Is that an invitation to continue?" He smirked.

They put the keys of their apartment into their pockets and opened the door. "I'm getting edible food," they told him, "if anyone knocks don't answer, I'll be back soon."

"Worried someone else is going to want a bite of me?" he hummed with a wink.

"And please do not yell at my neighbours through the door to come in and entertain you," they told them with a sigh.

Elliott opened his mouth with a half-smile, already prepared to say something but they were already out the door and headed down the stairs.

-

Half an hour later Bloodhound returned with a doggy bag with two breakfast wraps and entered to a perfectly clean apartment.

While they liked to keep their apartment clean they often spent days away hunting and when they returned they too tired to properly clean. Bloodhound didn't think they'd seen their loft this clean since…Well since they had moved in.

The kitchen was completely clean and not only that but the rest of their home had been cleaned immaculately as well. Even the potted cactus that he had knocked over with his wing the night before had been watered and set delicately back on the coffee table. Their apartment had even been dusted all over, something that they had always intended to do but never gotten around to.

By the window, Elliott was bent over by their bookshelf dusting what looked like the final specks left in the apartment. His apron had been replaced with something similar - a maid's outfit complete with thigh high stockings and a frilly headband just in front of his horns.

"W-What are you doing?" They demanded and wanted to hit themselves because of how their voice trembled.

He stood up straight and ducked back to one of their cabinet's and set the feather duster back where it belonged. "Oh, you're back!" He exclaimed with a bright smile. "After I cleaned up the kitchen I got in the mood to clean up the rest of the place a bit, thought I'd do something nice for you and all."

They forced themselves to keep eye contact even though it wasn't necessary with their mask. They looked at him and asked, "was the outfit really necessary?"

"You were the one who encouraged me to try it out."

"No that wasn't what I meant-" they broke off when they realised that it was pointless. Instead, they lifted the doggy bag for him to see, "I bought breakfast."

It would have been hard for them not to notice that Elliott's tail flittered back and forth at the mention of breakfast. Initially, they had imagined the tail as more cat-like until they saw it wag about and hit against the nearby furniture and his legs with a  _ fwip fwip  _ sound like a puppy.

"Thank you," he said brightly and plucked the bag from their hands and took a seat by the kitchen table. With a pat of his hand on the chair next to him, he beckoned them over.

Bloodhound was happy that the wraps remained warm within their aluminium foil. However, as Elliott dug in his they realised that they would have to either take their mask off or eat their food in their room.

At his first bite into the wrap Elliott completely melted in his chair. "That's so much better," he groaned, "you've gotta tell me where you got this from."

"If you're not willing to let me call Wattson," they began, "then we're going to have to figure out your arrangements if you're going to stay here."

He wiped some of the sauce off of his face and took another bite of the wrap, "Sorry, I can't really summon another toothbrush."

"I'm not accepting any more hunter contracts until tomorrow so today you'll have to make a list of whatever you need and I'll go out and get it for you," they told him.

Elliott squirmed in his seat for a moment before he asked, "uh so you’re a hunter right? Anything I should be worried about?"

"Humanoid beings aren't typically my targets," they told him with a wave. Though they didn't mention that once a jilted lover had attempted to employ them to take revenge of a succubus who had apparently wrong them. They'd hung up on that call less than a minute in.

"Ah that's good, I mean you work with Wattson so I should've assumed…But I mean, you know how Wattson can get a bit bloodthirsty sometimes," he said. Bloodhound wasn't sure what he meant by that, 'bloodthirstiness' wasn't something that they would associate her with.

"You don't have to worry about any harm coming to you while you're in my home," they assured him.

He took another bite of the wrap and asked, "speaking of who's home would that be?"

"Ah," they said, "my apologies I forgot to introduce myself. I am Bloodhound."

He frowned, "Bloodhound like a title name? You're not human either? Guess that makes sense with the whole mask thing."

"Bloodhound is my name."

"Wait but is that your birth name or your title name? I mean, are you human or-" He pressed.

"Is that necessary for you to know?" They asked tersely.

He sucked the sauce of the finished wrap from his fingers and dusted his hands. "Guess not but it's going to drive me crazy," he muttered into his hand.

"Is there anyone you need to contact?" They asked him, happy to draw him away from the topic.

"Huh?"

"Friends, family or someone who you need to let know that you're here," they questioned.

He fiddled with the aluminium wrapping for a moment. Eventually, he crushed it into a little ball and tossed it into their open bin. Even though he had taken his time to answer, when that grin appeared on his face it was as if that long moment of silence had never happened.

He told with a smile, "uh, no I'm pretty low maintenance, my main problem is eating.

"You said that you'd be fine to survive off of food, correct?" They asked him.

"Uh, it's not as straight forward as that," they began. "The thing that sets us apart is that we need a certain level of sas-satit-uh what's the word? Satisfaction, that's the one. So that's why people normally associate us with sex and stuff and I'd agree that sex is a pretty good way for most people to have a good time. But really good food can do it too and some creatures have blood with magical properties that people like."

"As long as something brings satisfaction, regardless of the activity it can sustain you?" They wondered aloud.

He rested his head on his folded hands with a sleepy smile. "you got it," he purred, "as long as the food I eat is good that'll satisfy me decently well but I won't have that much energy to spare. Plus, we're going to be stuck together for a whole season so why not have some fun with that? I can come up with all sorts of ideas to spend the time."

"Me too."

"And before you say - wait what," he stumbled when their words settled in his head. "I mean of course you do."

"And I do not see why we should waste any more time dancing around the problem," they said rising from their seat and heading towards one of the draws on the other side of the room.

"W-where are you going?" He asked and trailed behind them.

Bloodhound turned their eye back to him for just long enough to notice the point between his thigh highs and his uniform where they could notice the warm brown colour of his soft thighs.

"I am getting a toy for you," they told him, completely alert to the choked noise he made. "Is that a problem?"

Elliott swallowed down the coughing sound he made and continued, "nope, n-no not all. Probably should've figured that with the whole full-on mask thing that you'd be a bit kinky."

They began to dig through the draws until they found the prize that they were looking for. A moment after they felt Elliott's hand rest on their clothed shoulder, inhumanely warm, they laid eyes on what they were looking for.

"Here it is," they announced while they settled their hands on it and pulled it out.

"I'm excited to see where your tastes lie - wait what is that?"

They strode over to the coffee table and set it down for both of them to look at before they took a seat on the couch.

With their gloved hand, they pointed to it and explained, "this is an eight hundred piece puzzle that I never began. I imagine that after the time and dedication that you put into completing it that the outcome will be very satisfying."

Elliott's jaw was stuck open as he stared back and forth between the puzzle game and Bloodhound.

"Y-You're a total bastard!" He yelped in more surprise than frustration.

"I don't understand what you mean," they said innocently as they examined the puzzle. It was a beautiful image of a snowy mountainside and they could already tell that half the pieces would be the same shade of white.

They picked up their wrap and headed to their bedroom, "once I finish my breakfast please have the list of things you need to me pick up prepared. You can work on the puzzle while I'm out."

The last thing they heard before Bloodhound heard before they closed their bedroom door was, "I'd rather eat this entire puzzle than put it together."

With a shrug, they began to tear the foil off of their wrap, if he wanted to eat a puzzle then they weren't going to stop him.

-

Elliott's list was certainly lavish.

Bloodhound had to admit that they often didn't indulge in luxuries that didn't have a practical use. Their book collection was the only exception to that but they had justified it by telling themselves that knowledge was always useful.

(Though the extent of knowledge that could be extracted from their few fictional romance stories toed that line).

Elliott had also taken it upon himself to write his reasoning for each item on the list. At times it was simple reasonings such as when he wrote 'toothbrush (because we're not gross).'

And other times he had taken the initiative to note 'basic seasonings (you don't even own salt, I'm convinced that I now live with a serial killer).' That was true enough, Bloodhound rarely had time to cook and often chose takeaway. One note even read 'different scented body wash from yours and NOT three-in-one shampoo! (Please don't do that to your body).'

Even though they had taken a small offence to that, they had also already decided to get him a different body wash. Their sensitive olfactory senses likely wouldn't take kindly to the both of them sharing the same scent, like creating an itch you couldn't scratch.

Still, they felt a bit defensive that Elliott had entirely dismissed their favourite scent 'pine forest.' They also didn't want to bother arguing with him about the point of buying separate shampoo, conditioner and body wash when they could buy it all in one bottle for half the price.

It wasn't an easy task to open their door while clutching their shopping bags but they managed it. "Oh thank god you're back," they heard Elliott groan from the living room, "I've never been more bored. It's like staring at paint."

"Come help me with this," they beckoned him into the kitchen as they began to put away the groceries they bought.

A moment later they saw him, at least this time they could be thankful that he had returned to wearing that same casual outfit from the night before. In fact, they heard him before they saw him thanks to the sound of his tail wagging back and forth and thumping against the wall.

_ He really is like a puppy _ , they thought.

When Elliott came into the room he started digging through the shopping bags. "You really are an angel," he said while he examined their shopping contents. "I mean now that I think about it you could be like a guardian angel or something, never know what you look like under that mask."

They ignored him and told him, "I was able to find most of the things you listed though I didn't always understand your reasonings."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"For example," they considered and searched in their shopping until they found the two items they were looking for. "I don't understand why you would need both pink salt and kosher salt."

"What? You're kidding me!" He exclaimed as if he couldn't fathom them not understanding the difference. "These are completely different things!"

They looked down at the two salt shakers in their hands and stated simply, "they are both salts."

Elliott looked personally offended and said, "you know what? I'm not even surprised that you don't even own any seasonings or spices, I'll never get through to you. I doubt you've ever even cooked a proper meal."

"I have in fact cooked proper meals before."

"Uh, yeah! For your bird!" He blurted out. "I checked your pantry! The only nice ingredients or decent food that you own is meant for you raven!"

Bloodhound narrowed their eyes in frustration. As much as they would like to argue with him, Elliott wasn't exactly wrong.

Over from Artur's realistic tree-perch, which was an impulse purchase that to this day they couldn't justify, Artur let out a chirp. They snapped their head in their pet's direction and gave him a look through their mask that meant that he wouldn't be getting any treats for dessert tonight.

"I normally resort to takeout," they told them flatly.

Elliott looked at them like that was the saddest thing he'd ever heard. "But you're missing out on so much good stuff you could be eating," he whined until a second later when he looked over the food once more. "Oh! How about I pay you back for staying here by making your meals and I'll keep the place clean and do your chores and stuff?"

They considered it briefly before they asked, "will every meal turn out as it did this morning?"

"The mess was a one-time thing I promise!" He assured them and Bloodhound could hear his tail thumping back forth.

"I am not sure…"

Elliott frowned, "uh, I can do other stuff too. I got some jewellery that you could sell."

That option wasn't exactly appealing to them, perhaps having home-cooked meals would be a nice change. "Very well," they told him, "I will have to make a list of the times I will be home, hunting often keeps me away."

"Or there are other ways to get money," Elliott continued with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Give me your wi-fi password and a laptop to get an OnlyFans account set up and I'll make a bed out of cash-"

"No."

"But-"

"Definitely not," they told him. They were fairly certain that he was joking but they weren't going to take that chance.

"Fine," he said in exasperation. "But I'm never doing another puzzle again."

Bloodhound blinked, "you finished it?"

Elliott gave them a 'come here' gesture and headed into the living room before collapsing onto the couch. Bloodhound peaked over onto the coffee table where there was a completed puzzle of a snowy mountainside. They didn't even think that they had been gone for long enough to make any progress on it.

"If I ever see snow again I'm going to throw up," he groaned.

"I wasn't sure that you'd actually try it," they said.

Elliott gave a wave to Artur on the perch. "Well at first I tried to teach this little guy how to repeat back some dirty words but I figured that he doesn't work like a parrot," he spoke. "So I got bored and tried the puzzle."

"Did it work like 'eating' or at least did you get any energy from it?" They asked.

Elliott's tail twitched a bit, "If I say yes do I have to do another one?"

"No."

In his spot, he curled into himself a bit. "Maybe," he said slowly, "okay yes but I'd rather dip my tail in lava than do another one."

"Hm," they thought aloud, "I think I may know where to get a Rubik's cube from."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"You don't want one?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times while looking at them. "I can't even think," he said, "the puzzle fried my brain. Can I just sleep now?"

"It's only midday don't be lazy," they scolded him, "help me unpack in the kitchen."

They reached over and used their gloved hand to tug at his tail in a joking reprimand. What they didn't expect was for Elliott's body to recoil and his mouth to break off into a yelp that turned breathy.

"W-what?" Bloodhound stammered and fumbled in their place.

"Shut up I can't help it," he whimpered, "my tail is s-ses-sensitive."

Bloodhound felt frozen in place as Elliott was chewing on his lip. "Why, I don't - why are you like this?"

"Why aren't you letting go?" Elliott bit back.

Only at that point did they realise that they were still holding on his heart-tipped tail. They looked quickly between the tail and him before they dropped it. Immediately, Elliott yanked back his tail to his side, his gaze suddenly very interested in the puzzle on the coffee table.

"I'm going to start packing away the shopping," they told him after an awkward moment. "Then I need to sharpen my weaponry for the next hunt."

"Yup, um okay sounds good," he said, "I'll get dinner ready later."

Bloodhound didn't need another excuse to get out of the room, trying desperately to get that breathy noise that Elliott had made out of their head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are they both so fun to write, I love the introvert vs extrovert banter. 
> 
> I wrote this chapter really quickly which surprised me, blame it on the weekend and quarantine. I also realised that maybe I came up with this subconsciously because of the quarantine and social distancing stuff.
> 
> Leave a kudos or comment if you enjoyed this! I love every comment I get and it means so much to me that I know that people are enjoying this!


	3. Chapter Three

As much as Bloodhound tried to scrub that sound out of their head they couldn't. At least cleaning up their weaponry was a useful distraction for the afternoon. From outside their room, they heard Elliott shuffling about while they tried to keep their mind off of what he might be doing.   
  
They stayed in their room until the strong smell of sweet flavours began to drive them to curiosity. When Bloodhound ducked into the kitchen and Elliott heard their footprints, he jumped in his place before turning around to them.   
  
Immediately, his hands went straight behind his back, "hi! You're back!" He said hastily.   
  
"What were you doing?"   
  
"Um…Nothing," he eventually mustered.   
  
From behind him, Bloodhound saw Artur hop into view along the kitchen counter.   
  
"Nothing?" They pressed and pointed to their pet.   
  
Elliott's head snapped behind him to look at Artur who was trying to peck at his closed fists. "You little snitch," he swore at the bird.   
  
When Artur wouldn't stop pecking at his fists he obediently opened them to reveal a fistful of almonds. At that point, Bloodhound was fairly certain that if Artur could talk then he'd vindictively happy. Now he had a second person to run to for treats when Bloodhound denied him.   
  
"Birds aren't allergic to that stuff right?" He asked them.   
  
"No," they replied while trying to eye down their pet. "Artur is very spoilt, however."   
  
Elliott reached out to give him a pet but snapped back his hand when Artur gave an angry peck at him. "I can see that," he grumbled but nonetheless kept feeding Artur almonds.   
  
Bloodhound inhaled again before they observed, "dinner smells sweeter than I would have imagined."   
  
"That's cause I bet you live off of soup," he rebutted. "Wait did you say smell or something? You're not part werewolf or dragon are you?"   
  
"You may ask that question as long as you know that you will not receive an answer," they told him.   
  
"I could see scales," he considered, "maybe gills like merfolk have. I haven't seen your room actually. How do I know that the reason why you're not letting me into your bed is because you've got a jacuzzi in there instead?"   
  
They only stared at him.   
  
"Ok, ok, keep your secrets," Elliott settled and then muttered under his breath, "and your jacuzzi tub."   
  
They looked around the kitchen and they satisfied enough to see that the mess from the kitchen had not repeated itself this time. "Were you able to find everything in the kitchen easily?"   
  
"Pretty well, yeah," he agreed. "Except the only trouble is my wings, even when I tuck 'em in they keep on bumping against stuff."   
  
They eyed those strong dark wings now. Bloodhound knew that of course, he wouldn't be able to fly with them, they were for an aesthetic purpose. And they could understand the appeal of those wings, the sense of strength and otherness to them. The gold lining of blood and sinew beneath the black hide that was still faintly shining, like a web of stars or gold flakes.   
  
"Is there anything I could do to assist?" They asked him.   
  
Elliott shrugged in a so-so gesture, "I've got this witch friend who's great at doing magic to minimalize those kinds of things. Super simple spells to do stuff like get rid of merfolk's tails so they can walk around on land and when they want to swim again she can nullify the spell."   
  
"And she's done that for your wings before?" They asked interested.   
  
"Why do you think Wattson doesn't have her wings or tail out all the time?" He queried.   
  
Bloodhound thought about it for a moment before they said, "I had assumed that some succubi didn't develop the same physical traits as others."   
  
"She always told me that she didn't like keeping them out while she was working," he told them while he took out some of the new seasonings from the pantry. "Didn't want something grabbing her by a wing or tail, easy obvious spots like that, while she was fighting. But once Renee, uh my witch friend, negates the spell she'll keep out her features if she's in a casual setting. Not too different from what I do with my outfits huh?"   
  
They considered that for a moment, "do you know the spell she uses?"   
  
He shook his head, "I'm not really that fancy with magic."   
  
"You never tried to learn?"   
  
"Pfft, when I was a kid I tried to light a candle and the Christmas tree caught fire instead," he laughed. "Gave up on that sort of stuff pretty early."   
  
Bloodhound was glad enough that they wore their mask because otherwise, Elliott would have noted the concern on their face. There was something underneath his voice, a bit of nervousness that they couldn't quite figure out.   
  
Even though they wanted to ask him, they doubted that he would say anything. It would be impolite regardless, they'd hardly known him for a day. So instead they asked another question.   
  
"What are you making?" They asked.   
  
Elliott perked up when the conversation turned to cooking. "Famous family pork chops," he declared before flipping them over on the pan. "It's got maple syrup and cinnamon and a lot of sweet seasonings that make it perfect."   
  
"I don't believe I've ever had that before," they wondered aloud.   
  
"Well while you're sticking to being mysterious and all," he hummed, "any specific magical appetites you've got to stick to?"   
  
"Appetites?"   
  
"I don't know," he rambled, "got a werewolf friend that'll only eat her meat rare. Maybe you want some blood mixed into your morning coffee like a vampire likes?"   
  
They peaked over to the pan to have a look at the glazed pork chops. "I prefer tea in the morning," they told him. When they saw his eyes widen they added, "without blood. Whatever food you make will be fine."   
  
He shrugged, "if I ever make something you hate, let me know so I won't make it twice."   
  
Bloodhound gave a short nod while Elliott began to shift the pork chops from the pan onto the plate.   
  
"Thank you," they told him and added cutlery to their plate before turning to take it to their room.   
  
"Wait where are you going?" Elliott asked them quickly.   
  
"My room," they said. The underlying word being 'obviously'.   
  
Elliott's eyebrows knotted together, "you're going to eat dinner in your room? You can't eat the rest of your meals alone until summer."   
  
"I will not be coming out for the rest of the evening, good night Elliott," they told him.   
  
Elliott didn't take that as the end of the conversation, "c'mon just stay around I won't even look. It's not polite to just leave."   
  
"Thank you for the meal but I will be taking my food inside," they told him. "I apologise but I won't be taking my dinner with you for the night."   
  
As Bloodhound shut the door to their room, they heard him say, "that's what you think."   
  
\-   
  
"Oh, Houndie!" They heard Elliott call in a sing-song voice from outside barely a minute later.   
  
They frowned and began to carve at the meat, they weren't eager to partake in whatever antics he had come up with.   
  
"Bloodhound, hello, hello, hello," Elliott kept on calling, making sure to lengthen each 'o' sound he made.   
  
They ignored him again and took a bite of the pork chop, pleasantly surprised by how tender the meat was.   
  
After another minute of silence, they thought that he must have given up. 

And then they heard him calling again, "Bloodhound, it's an emergency, I pretty promise."   
  
"What is it?" They finally asked in frustration.   
  
From the short gap of silence afterwards Bloodhound was almost certain Elliott was smiling in victory.   
  
"I forgot to serve it with the special glazed sauce I do," he whined through the door, "gives it a sweet taste and makes it perfect."   
  
"I am perfectly satisfied with the meal as it is," they told him through the door and took another bite.   
  
They heard a groan through the door. "Please, or as a cook, I won't be happy with if it's not perfect," he whined.   
  
They sighed, set their cutlery down and took a moment to attach the bottom half of their mask back on. When they heard Elliott start to speak again they opened the door with their plate in hand. Bloodhound wanted to convey their frustration but with their hands set underneath the plate politely, it wasn't easy to get the point across.   
  
"Over here!" He called from behind the kitchen counter and it only took them another step closer to see his newest outfit.   
  
They couldn't see his horns anymore, instead, in front of them was a headband with tall white bunny ears on top. Their first reaction was to go back to their room and not indulge in his antics. Although, they also weren't going to give him the satisfaction of claiming he had some kind of effect on them.   
  
While Elliott shifted with the items in the kitchen they started to notice the rest of the outfit. His wings were folded behind him, the same black that matched the leather leotard to suit the bunny ears. The outfit was completed with a pair of fishnet stockings that ended snugly at his thighs.   
  
"Alright this sauce is special so make sure you use it all up," Elliott told them.   
  
Bloodhound decided that it would be better if they kept silent while he set the sauce on the side of their plate. All the while, they heard the characteristic thump, thump of his tail. When Elliott finished setting the sauce with a satisfied smile, Bloodhound gave a nod and turned straight back to their room.   
  
"Wait up, I want to see your reaction to my food!" He called to them.   
  
"I assure you that I will enjoy this," they said.   
  
"Um, hey!" He tried to stop them. "We've got some whipped cream in the fridge if you want to enjoy dessert later as well."   
  
They opened the door and spared a glance at him, "perhaps if your attempts were less monotonous then I would be more inclined to spend dinner with you."   
  
"Are you saying I'm not getting creative enough?" He perked up. "Because trust me I can get creative."   
  
"Your attempts so far have proved otherwise."   
  
A smirk began to grow on his face, "I can do more than outfits."   
  
Bloodhound was tempted to roll their eyes but instead, they turned back to their room to enjoy their meal. Certain that they were not going to indulge Elliott for the rest of the night.   
  
\-   
  
A short while after Bloodhound had finished the meal they weren't surprised when they heard Elliott calling for them again.   
  
"Uh, Bloodhound?" He called out.   
  
They kept their gaze stuck on their book.   
  
When they didn't respond after a moment, Elliott called out again, "I need some help here!"   
  
Suddenly, the next page of the book seemed even more interesting than whatever Elliott's new game was.   
  
"Bloodhound? Um, I think I'm stuck under the-"   
  
"No." They interrupted him lazily. They weren't going to indulge a cliche.   
  
"I don't think I can get out of the-"   
  
They didn't think they had ever been more tempted to roll their eyes in their life. "I believe that this is less creative," they told him clinically.   
  
From beyond their door, they heard the sound of something shifting.   
  
"Wait a second," Elliott said and they heard that shifting sound again. "Wait, I think I'm actually stuck, is that something that can happen?"   
  
In their seat, Bloodhound folded their legs and rested a hand on their chin while they continued to read their book. They were completely comfortable in their chair and had no intention of moving any time soon.   
  
"Can I actually get some help here?" He called out.   
  
A silent smile began to creep its way onto their face, though they would deny it.   
  
"Are you seriously not going to help me out there?" Elliott called out again. "You're not actually that petty are you?"   
  
Bloodhound had to cover their mouth to stop the chuckle from spilling out.   
  
\-   
  
The next morning Bloodhound left early.   
  
At one point Elliott must have gotten himself unstuck because when Bloodhound left in the morning he was wrapped in a blanket on the couch. Seeing the way his wings looked crushed and his legs were falling off the side made Bloodhound uncomfortable. They felt partly guilty that he might have to stay in that position for the next few months yet there wasn't any other room in the apartment for him to live in.   
  
Perhaps they could come up with another solution later. They still weren't comfortable with the idea of him living with them until summer came but there was no other solution for now.   
  
They had left Elliott with only a note that stated that they likely wouldn't return home potentially until the end of the week. They felt uncertain to leave him alone for that long but quickly scolded themselves for treating him like a child.   
  
At least now Bloodhound would know that Artur would be properly taken care of. They were often concerned during their hunting missions that their pet wouldn't be safe. Especially when Artur loved to abuse the automatic birdfeeder that Bloodhound had bought him.   
  
Still, they forced those thoughts out of their head while they examined the notice board of local commissions for hunting work. Often, most missions regarded local farms that had been invaded by bestial pests who enjoyed hunting livestock. However, more difficult jobs often required the work of multiple hunters such as when they worked with Wattson or Lifeline.   
  
While they were skimming the details of a particularly voracious pack of prowlers they heard the tell-tale sound of Wattson's clicking boots against the floor.   
  
"I'm so sorry about everything from the other night," she apologised as a greeting. "I can't believe that I made such a silly mistake."   
  
"Ah, it was no trouble after I received your messages," they lied.   
  
She gave a sigh of relief, "at first I was so worried when I realised I gave you a summoning rune and then I was terrified when I realised that it might latch onto your bindings."   
  
"That," they said simply, "would be quite the situation."   
  
Bloodhound was immensely thankful for their mask right now or surely Wattson would see them grating their teeth.   
  
"Afterwards it was quite funny," she admitted with a small giggle. "If you knew Elliott at all…I told Lifeline about it afterwards and she said that it would have made a great sitcom."   
  
"Mhm," they agreed politely.   
  
She smiled and thumbed the edge of one of the notice board pages. "I didn't mean that I was making it into a piece of gossip," she said sheepishly. "I guess Elliott will find it funny too when he finds out what could have happened."   
  
They thought of Elliott at their home, probably still asleep. "I suppose one might find it amusing," they agreed.   
  
"Well, I'll be able to tell you next time I see you."   
  
They stiffened in their place and asked, "what do you mean?"   
  
Wattson rubbed her hands together and said, "Elliott and I have a mutual friend, she's greatly skilled in her magic. Her and Elliott have known each other for quite a while and she told me that she was going to see him for lunch today."   
  
"Lunch."   
  
"Yep," she said with a bit of a laugh. "She called me about it to complain this morning. She had a reading set up and everything and then he called her and begged to get lunch. I only say 'complain' because she loves to act like everything he does bothers her. They're really- oh what's that phrase? Thick as thieves I think?"   
  
Bloodhound could only hear a dull ache in their head. Something cold and crushing because they should have expected that Elliott would-   
  
Well, they still didn't know what he had done or why he had done it. But they weren't going to be left in the dark to humour themselves with theories when they could find the truth themselves.   
  
"I apologise Wattson," they said trying to keep their tone neutral. "I forgot to feed Artur before I left, I will take my leave for now."   
  
All they saw from her was a reassuring smile and a goodbye on her mouth before they were rushing to the exit.   
  
\-   
  
Bloodhound reached their apartment in record time. They'd pushed, ran, and climbed through the streets until they reached their loft. When they reached the door their hand snapped onto the handle only to find it swing open without need for a key.   
  
In their living room, Bloodhound saw the two of them on the couch. Elliott's shirt was off, a hand raked through his hair to keep away the sweat while he groaned. Behind him was a woman that they didn't recognise. She was close to him, stood behind the couch with both hands digging into his shoulders just between his wings where Bloodhound could see his muscles flex.   
  
She leaned down close enough that her chin touched his shoulder and she began to murmur something into Elliott's ear that they couldn't hear. That was it, they weren't going to entertain a stranger in their home.   
  
"Get out," they growled.   
  
Elliott didn't seem to hear them but the woman's gaze flicked up to theirs though her hands remained on his back, pressing her thumb harder into his spine.   
  
Her eyes were pale and uninterested while she bored into them, "not until I finish the spell. Unless you want his spine to snap."   
  
Spell?   
  
They were glad that their eyes moved before their hands did. At a second glance, they saw a low coloured green glow from her beneath her fingers, painting a symbol onto his back that they couldn't make out.   
  
The woman continued to murmur something, an arcane language that Bloodhound only vaguely recognised. At a certain press of her hand, Elliott bit down a pained groan and rubbed his face into his hand.   
  
Eventually, she straightened and placed both palms over the place between Elliott's wings and exhaled a long breath. Bloodhound watched as the hand in his hair tensed into a fist and he swallowed down a final pained noise. His wide wings stretched out and shuddered and between the time that they began to saw them retract inwards and when they blinked, his wings were gone.   
  
Elliott's wings were replaced with a circular black mark on the spot where the woman had pressed against. The black brand was more simple than Bloodhound had expected for what had seemed like a complicated ritual. There between his shoulder blades was a small set of wings within a circle. If they hadn't known any better they would have thought it might have been an amateur tattoo.   
  
Finally, his hands dropped down, revealing his red face as he tried to slow down his breathing for air. Behind him the woman was shaking out her fingers and stretching out her arms, she gave him a soft pat on the back in a 'there, there you're alright' gesture.   
  
"What did you do?" They decided to ask her.   
  
Elliott startled in his spot when he heard Bloodhound's voice. His head snapped in their direction and tried to stand up, however, his legs were weak and he stumbled when he tried to rise. When the woman saw that she placed a firm hand on his shoulder and pushed him down back onto the couch.   
  
She eyed them instead and said plainly, "he had wings and now he won't for a while. I thought that was fairly evident."   
  
Their nose scrunched up beneath their mask and they repeated, "get out."   
  
"W-Wait a second-" Elliott tried to protest but groaned in pain when he tried to get up.   
  
"It's fine," the dark-haired woman interrupted. She picked up a large bag that jostled with the sound of clinking materials when she slung it over her back. "I planned to leave once I finished up. Take some of the painkillers that I gave you and call me if you have any problems."   
  
Elliott slung his arm over his face like the light of the apartment hurt his eyes. "Thanks, Renee," he mumbled.   
  
She walked towards the door of the apartment where Bloodhound stood in the way. When she reached them she looked upwards, although they were certainly far taller than her and clothed in hunters garb, she showed no apprehension.   
  
Those blue eyes of hers turned milky for a moment before they snapped back to blue. She glanced back at Elliott before she turned her gaze back to them and said, "you have a lovely apartment."   
  
With that, she waited until Bloodhound stepped aside and she walked through the door.   
  
They wanted to say something desperately, this was their apartment and their private solace. Although they also feared that warning her would bring the possibility to sell that information to her mind.   
  
"C-Could I get a cup of water?" Elliott groaned from the couch.   
  
Bloodhound's first instinct was to snap at him but he did look deeply pained and they weren't one to rub salt into a wound. When they finished filling the glass with water they set it down on the coffee table in front of Elliott.

He was already sluggishly unscrewing the cap to a small bottle with freckled tablets which Bloodhound assumed were the painkillers the woman had mentioned. He took a few sips from the bottle before he took two of the tablets and chased them with water before he relaxed back into the couch.   
  
When Bloodhound couldn't stand to wait any longer they asked, "what was that?"   
  
As Elliott talked his breaths between words were shaky but he managed to say, "uh, remember last night? I brought up the clipping my wings thing? Well, when I woke up this morning I thought, why not? And I um, used your landline to call Renee. Figured out the address from looking at street signs outside your window."   
  
"Why not ask me first?" They tested him.   
  
He rubbed the bottom of his palm into his eye as he said, "I didn't know how to contact you. I just saw your sticky-note when I woke up and you said it could be up to a week before you came back."   
  
They watched as Elliott covered himself in a hoodie with a snap of his fingers and began to roll his shoulders. He looked exhausted from the spell the woman, Renee he had said, had cast.   
  
The proposition that their idea of the situation may have been an overreaction was slowly coming to mind. Elliott hadn't planned anything malicious or wrong, Bloodhound knew it would be cruel of them to deny him basic comfort while he was trapped here.   
  
"I did not anticipate that it would pain you," Bloodhound said.   
  
Elliott huffed a bit, "it's not too bad. It won't hurt after a few hours, just an odd feeling until I get used to it."   
  
They blinked to take in the new view of him. The only trait of his magical bloodline Renee had sealed were his wings, which would no doubt make it easier to sleep at the least. Those small horns were still nestled amongst his hair along with his tail that was tucked between his legs like a saddened puppy.   
  
He looked tired enough, Bloodhound decided. There was no point to take out their fears of losing their solitude on Elliott.   
  
They rested their chin on their fist as they mused, "so like a reckless youth when their parents leave for a weekend you invite all of your friends over."   
  
"N-No!" He fumbled and his tail perked up and began to whip around him aimlessly. "I was just doing it this one time and I promised Renee not to tell anyone! Even Wattson!"   
  
They smiled in their mask and asked, "is that so?"   
  
"W-Why did you even come back?" He wondered. "Your note said that you'd be gone."   
  
"I decided that I could not deny a chance to be with my winged sweetheart."   
  
Elliott began to coo teasingly at them, "aw, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me-"   
  
"Yes," they agreed enthusiastically, "Artur requires me to clean his wings."   
  
Elliott's mouth open and shut back and forth breathlessly. "You - You suck!" He protested with a half-laugh.   
  
"I cannot fathom how I will ever recover from this insult to my character," they mourned.   
  
"I'm stunned that you even know what sarcasm is," Elliott said. "I can never tell what's going on behind your mask, I thought you were angry when I first saw you come in."   
  
They paused for a second too long before they said, "I was not."   
  
"You were!" He whispered loudly.   
  
"It wasn't my concern," they enforced.   
  
Elliott narrowed his eyes at that before he took a deep breath of delight. "Not your concern? Did you think Renee and I were together? I wouldn't invite someone over to your apartment so I could sleep with them, I can't believe that you'd think of that!"   
  
"It was a…Possibility based on the observations I made."   
  
"What because I had my shirt off?" He asked incredulously. "Wasn't she behind a couch casting a spell? Is that how most of your encounters go?   
  
"Encounters?"   
  
"Look I might be an incubus but I don't always have to be so graphic," he accepted.   
  
"I did not realise that the word 'sex' was of such a graphic nature," Bloodhound remarked. "In the future, I shall refrain from bothering your gentle sensitivities."   
  
Elliott rolled his eyes, "you were a lot more bearable when you were less snarky. Go pet your bird or something."

He half-heartedly threw a pillow at them which they caught with ease and immediately threw it back into his face with greater force. Elliott made a shriek when the lofty pillow smacked him in the face. 

Perhaps they would not have to worry about Elliott. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bloodhound video tomorrow Bloodhound video tomorrow Bloodhound video tomorrow
> 
> So I wasn't going to write until the weekend but I got so hyped over the video that I had to crunch out more than I had planned for today. 
> 
> Also, when talking to a friend about witch!Wraith they said that they were glad that they didn't make her into hot reddit bait for people to swoon over creepily. Which made me think what is a sexy kind of witch to me? And the answer is the Shakespearean witches in Macbeth. And that is because they are living the best life: chilling in a cave away from society, eating mustard, titties out, leading some bastard to his doom through dramatic prophecy. Absolutely superb. 
> 
> Anyway, my point is: If you enjoyed this leave a comment because they mean so much to me and show me that you enjoy this stuff!


	4. Chapter Four

The next time that Bloodhound left Elliott alone to pick up more shopping, they didn't return to find a stranger in their apartment. While it had been difficult, they had learned to push thoughts of Renee out of their head rather than succumb to paranoid thoughts. They would have to take Elliott's word that she was trustworthy.   
  
This time, instead of a stranger, Elliott had an old and clunky television. When Bloodhound returned home, they did so to the sights and sounds of Elliott kneeling and setting it up while he swore heavily.   
  
"What have you got now?" They asked him with exasperation.   
  
Elliott was testing the back of the television while playing with a remote at the same time. "Shit," he hissed, "I've almost got it I swear."   
  
After they finished packing away the groceries, they sat down on the couch and watched Elliott set up the TV. It was an older model, the screen was dusty and there was a crack in the top right.   
  
"I can't believe that you don't have a TV," Elliott complained. "Not a console or anything."   
  
He was right, of course. Bloodhound had never planned to have a TV in their apartment. Even the space where Elliott was now setting it up was an awkward empty spot without any leverage to stand on. The TV sat plainly on the ground at an uncomfortable angle to look down on from the couch.   
  
Elliott fumbled with a few buttons along the side as he pressed the remote like he was starting to get it to play. He smacked the side of the TV and pressed the remote until the screen flickered on bright blue. He groaned deeply and pulled out the electric plug before trying again to make it work.   
  
"How did you even get this?" They asked him.   
  
Elliott swore again when the TV failed to work. "Used your old laptop to go on Craigslist," he explained. "I had some nice earrings and rings on an outfit that I traded for the TV. Pretty good deal if you ask me. Unless I can never get this to work."   
  
Bloodhound hummed in agreement. Perhaps this was the entertainment that would be able to help him for the next few months. At least they would see for themselves in the coming days. They had taken out a contract to purge a mine from a growing infestation of beasts with a group of other hunters in the coming week. Until then, they would stay home with him.   
  
Elliott had lived with them for a week now and while they had found it uncomfortable they had also begun to get used to the unique rhythm that they had set together.   
  
They hardly remembered a time when they had been so eager for meals. Each morning they could hardly wait to see what kind of breakfast they would awake to whether it be sweet or savoury. They had even gotten used to wearing their mask around their home more often, though Elliott lightly teased them with his theories on what fantastical bloodline they had.   
  
Elliott bought their attention back to him when he let out an excited yelp as the TV turned on. He played around with the remote for a few more minutes, shushing Bloodhound when they tried to gleam an update into what he was doing.   
  
Eventually, he scampered back onto the couch beside Bloodhound and continued to navigate through the menu with the remote.   
  
They frowned slightly when they noticed the red logo, "Netflix?"   
  
"It's Renee's account," he assured them. "She let me use her password."   
  
Bloodhound considered that, the witch had unnerved them but she did not seem concerned with them. Regardless, Elliott seemed less energetic every day. He'd tried to renew that energy with food, entertainment and even a Rubik's cube at one point. He'd even put on a poor show of trying to prove to Bloodhound that he had just as much energy as when they met.   
  
It was difficult to look at him lately. Even though he had plenty of sleep the dark circles under his eyes had only gotten worse and recently he seemed less alert or reactive to Bloodhound. So it was no longer only a simple 'want' for the TV to make him feel more lively. It had developed into a deep-seated need.   
  
They rested on that thought when they asked him, "what if I prepare dinner for tonight?"   
  
Elliott shifted uncomfortably in his spot for a moment. "You don't have to do that," he offered. "Afterall, I'm sort of terrified to see what meal you would make in the end."   
  
"I was planning on takeaway," they said, ignoring his scrutiny.   
  
He was silent for a second, his gaze glued to the screen in front of him. "Is my cooking not that great or something?" He asked hesitantly.   
  
They didn't expect that response and they were quick to cover up. "Not at all," they affirmed, "you have simply been cooking all week and I thought it prudent that you have a break."   
  
He tore his gaze away from the screen and looked at them. He blinked a few times and resettled himself in his spot before he said, "sure, y-yeah, it's your call."   
  
Bloodhound thought of a nice local spot, they often had little care in what they ate but Elliott's health was important. Once they had decided on the meals and delivered Artur their dinner they returned to the lounge where Elliott was browsing for movies.   
  
"What are you planning on watching?" They asked only because they knew that Elliott seemed to gain a sense of livelihood when they talked. As well as the fact that Bloodhound felt distinctly uncomfortable when Elliott was silent and still.   
  
"Um…" He considered flicking through a few categories. "A nature documentary…I think."   
  
"A documentary?" They repeated. "About nature?"   
  
"That's what a nature documentary is buddy."   
  
They scrunched up their nose, "I did not take you as the sort."   
  
Elliott's elbow nudged them in the side of their gear. "Did you think that because I'm an incubus I was just going to watch porn?" He joked.   
  
"I would consider that to be more likely than a nature documentary," they observed.   
  
"I just mean," he said and paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "It's your place that staying in and I don't want to set up something if you're going to hate it."   
  
Bloodhound was feeling that growing itch again where their mask chaffed against their skin. They knew that while their mask protected them from prying eyes, it also often had an off-putting effect on others.   
  
They wondered what Elliott thought of while he looked at them, they wanted to ease that discomfort in him. Pry off their mask and show him that he had nothing to fear, that they were not so cold as he may have thought.   
  
Or maybe that would only make it worse.   
  
Bloodhound had learned over time that Elliott had a…Higher standard. He liked those little luxuries, pancakes with cream and rings with stones. They couldn't help but wonder if he'd prefer faces without scars.   
  
They fought away their self-consciousness and asked, "so, you imagined that my favourite genre is…Nature documentaries?"   
  
"Wait do you want to watch porn?"   
  
"Of course not," they scolded. "You may choose whatever you wish."   
  
He shifted in his spot, discomfort clear in his movements, "uh, this might sound weird… But I'd really prefer if you chose the genre. Just for this time."   
  
Bloodhound narrowed their eyes, "why?"   
  
One of his hands reached up and began to scratch at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Look," he started, "I don't know how much you know about incubi…Uh, I mean I said this was kind of weird but I've sort of been banking on seeing you eat my food."   
  
Their hands tensed where they laid resting on their knees and they asked quickly, "what have you been doing to my food?"   
  
"No, it's not what you think!" He assured them quickly. "It's not like I'm spiking it or something like that."   
  
"Then why?"   
  
He made a frustrated sound from the back of his throat. "It's just another shitty thing about being an incubus and being stuck here," he explained. "Sure, we gain energy from whatever satisfaction that we get from our actions but…Damn it, this always sounds creepy to explain it. Uh, but we typically get more energy if there's someone who's feeling satisfaction and we sort of…Feed off of it."   
  
Bloodhound pressed their lips together into a thin line, "so you've been feeding off of me?"   
  
"No! Definitely not!" He protested. "It's not like I'm stealing your energy or something! Okay, let me think of an example that'll make sense. So, remember how I did that puzzle? If instead you did that puzzle and found it a rewarding or satisfying experience and I was there while you did it…Then I would get even more energy from you feeling content than I would get from doing it myself."   
  
"And you wanted to see me eat food for the same reason?"   
  
Elliott was fiddling and gripping with a pillow in his hands and admitted, "y-yes."   
  
That itch was back again, a thought crawling into their mind of how Elliott must feel staring into their blank mask.   
  
"Why not tell me?" They asked him.   
  
"Because it feels parasitic," he began to explain like he'd done it a thousand times. "It's weird and that's why people think we only stick around people if we're using them."   
  
"I-" They tried to interrupt by he continued.   
  
"-And it sucks to think that just because I'm an incubus, I almost always have to put someone else first because their feelings and satisfaction matter more than mine." He muttered. "And as fun as it is to deny that and be selfish and put myself first, I can't do that if I want to live my life with the energy I need."   
  
Elliott's eyes were dull and cold, not wet or red like Bloodhound might have expected them to be. They knew that at this point he was too exhausted to do anything but fall deeper into the well he was stuck within.   
  
They wanted to scratch that itch. Pull off their helmet and do something to comfort him. It had been so long since they'd allowed themselves to feel comfortable around another. They thought about that inhuman warmth that always emitted from him like a furnace, how that might feel if they pulled him into an embrace.   
  
"If you had told me," they said slowly, "I could have made accommodations. I don't want to make your stay here anymore uncomfortable than it has already been made to be."   
  
Elliott rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and asked, "really?"   
  
They knew that Elliott wouldn't see it but they couldn't help the gentle smile that came to their face. "Nature documentaries are nice," they conceded, "but I prefer dramas. Perhaps a romantic comedy depending on my mood."   
  
He let out a choked laugh, "seriously?"   
  
"Perhaps I could find a way to organise eating," they considered.   
  
Elliott perked up a bit, "if it helps, I don't have to see you eating. Just gotta be around you."   
  
"I may be able to adjust to that," they offered him and was glad to see that nervous smile on his face turn more comfortable and at ease.   
  
They decided to wait for the takeaway to arrive before they started the movie. Elliott had eventually settled on a movie that he had called 'a classic' despite the fact that Bloodhound had never heard of it before. Still, they were excited to see it, it had been a long time since they had indulged like this.   
  
Dinner was difficult at first, when Bloodhound had finished serving themselves a bowl of noodles they weren't sure how to go ahead. Eventually, they had told both angled away from each other while they ate in awkward silence. They had taken off the bottom half of their mask and while they were uncomfortable at even that vulnerability, they still enjoyed their meal.   
  
They handled the clean up for dinner, even though Elliott seemed thankful to be able to share a meal, they were dedicated to making sure that he would be able to conserve as much energy as possible.   
  
He seemed more excited for the movie, his exhaustion replaced with something more akin to drowsiness. The movie was interesting enough, a drama about magic with a dash of romance in between it all. It seemed fairly old, so perhaps Elliott was right when he claimed it was a classic. It was cheesy, filled with mostly inaccurate details about magic, but enjoyable enough for Bloodhound. It was easy to fall into a sense of comfort beside Elliott.   
  
About halfway through the movie, they heard Elliott say, "do you mind if I sit a bit closer to you?"   
  
Bloodhound eyed the awkward distance between them on the couch silently.   
  
Elliott continued to say, "the sharing a meal thing was good and all but I'm still feeling pretty low on energy. At this point, I'd kill for even a high five."   
  
"Fine," they eventually settled on.   
  
"I promise that I've totally given up on seducing you and all that," he assured them as he shifted a bit closer. "If you haven't fallen for me after a month, it's pra-pob-poba- likely not going to happen."   
  
"It's only been a week."   
  
"Seriously? Fuck."   
  
Bloodhound hummed in agreement and continued to watch the movie. It had become more difficult to do so with Elliott closer to them. He had tucked his legs beneath himself and was leaning against Bloodhound. Despite their hunter's gear, they could feel the warmth rolling off of him like an electric blanket.   
  
A few minutes later they felt him shift again as he rested his head on their shoulder. "When I was younger I wanted to learn magic like that," he admitted quietly, watching a witch on the screen and her hands lined with gold rippling energy. "Seemed like a fun thing to do."   
  
As he talked they could feel his jaw moving where it sat on their shoulder. They thought of how, if they hadn't been so heavily layered, they would have been able to feel his breath and the warm heat from his skin.   
  
"Why didn't you?" They asked him lowly.   
  
Elliott didn't respond, perhaps they had spoken too quietly for him to hear. They turned their attention back to the movie, if they hadn't worn their mask they would have liked to have known what it would be like to lean their head onto his.   
  
When the credits of the film began to roll Elliott's eyes looked upwards from where he lay on their shoulder and asked, "want to watch another one?"   
  
He seemed less tired, more suffering from natural human-like sleeping. As they watched the next movie Bloodhound couldn't help but notice his sleepy smile from the corner of their eye. And as the movie fell deeper into its story it became harder to pull their attention away from his smile and focus on the plot.   
  
It wasn't until the morning when they realised that they hadn't even gone to their room to sleep. Whatever movie they had played last was paused on the ending credits with the screen of the TV still providing light in the early morning.   
  
When they looked down they realised that Elliott had slipped from their shoulder at one point during the night. His chest was rising and falling slowly where he was curled up on the couch with his head gently resting on their lap.   
  
Bloodhound raised their hands upwards to their chest as if they were worried that any movement would break him out of his sweet sleep. Still, it was difficult to keep their hands there. The wonderful chocolate curls of his hair were spread out and they were surprised at the urge that overcame them to run their finger through those curls.   
  
Eventually, they mustered the courage to slip out from them, doing their best not to wake him. Although he didn't wake up, he let out a little snore that Bloodhound struggled to describe as anything other than adorable.   
  
Before they went to make their morning tea they looked back towards Elliott on the couch. They noticed that those dark circles beneath his eyes seemed to be almost completely gone.   
  
It was then when they realised that this could be a problem.   
  
\-   
  
After almost a week later of sharing meals without seeing each other and watching movies together, Bloodhound had to leave to pursue a hunt. Fortunately, Bloodhound had remembered to go to their room each day after a night spent of watching of movies. Even if they struggle to remember to do so when Elliott leans his head against them and goes slack while he watches the movie.   
  
They had last one day until Bloodhound would be gone until the next week. Elliott had promised a knock out meal and dessert and although he did his best to assuage their fears through light banter, Bloodhound was still worried what might happen to him if they leave for a week.   
  
So, they get him a tool. An item. Maybe it could be called a gift.   
  
On that morning when Elliott was sipping his coffee, Bloodhound dropped a heavy leather book onto the coffee table unceremoniously.   
  
He startled in his spot and yelped, "warn me next time!"   
  
"My apologies."   
  
"What even is that?" He said and licked a bit of coffee that had spilled onto his hand.   
  
"The other day you said you had an interest in learning magic in your youth," they explained. "Since I will be gone for quite a time, I believed that it could be a rewarding experience that would also keep you busy."   
  
They had practiced that explanation more than was necessary in their head when they bought the books.   
  
Elliott's eyes went wide as he flipped through the pages to the symbols and explanations set about before him, some Bloodhound recognised, some they didn't.   
  
"T-This looks expensive," he mentioned while brushing the leather binding.   
  
They shook their head, "not necessarily in my line of work. It was no issue."   
  
"I don't know what to say," he looked at them listlessly.   
  
"Typically this would condone a thank you."   
  
He let out a little laugh, "definitely, seriously thanks…Uh, I used my remaining jewellery to buy the TV but once I get out of here I swear that I'll pay you back for this."   
  
"Elliott there is no need," they told him, "consider this a gift."   
  
He only continued to stare at them while he thumbed along the binding of the book. "Thanks," he repeated a bit more quietly.   
  
"You're welcome," was all they said before they went to fetch their tea.   
  
"This mostly focuses on transmutation magic right?" He asked as he set down his coffee and began to properly examine the introduction to the book.   
  
They nodded as they sat beside him, angled away so that they could drink their tea without Elliott seeing them. "I was uncertain what field your existing magical abilities fell under," they told him, struggling to tear their thoughts away from those outfits he wore. "I chose transmutation because it seemed to me as the most apparent."   
  
"Y-Yeah that's it," he agreed, "I was always interested in transmutation."   
  
They knew that ahead of those words laid rough terrain although they still asked, "why?"   
  
"Ah, it's a bit embarrassing really," he admitted. "Do you know how incubi are born?   
  
They looked at him flatly, "are you attempting to give me 'the talk?'"   
  
He groaned and rubbed the back of his head, "look, you get one normal person and you get one person who's got a magical bloodline. Normally, the kid might be half-human and half-whatever, however, sometimes you get an incubus instead. Doesn't make much sense in my head but it's how it works."   
  
"I don't understand how this links to transmutation magic," Bloodhound considered.   
  
"I'm getting there," he promised. "So my mother was a witch - completely amazing with illusion magic, like Renee she was born a totally normal human, but even without a magical bloodline if you work hard enough you can still learn magic. My dad was the one with the magical bloodline and when he left it was just my brothers, my mother, and I. Out of my brothers, I was the only one who turned out to be an incubus, stuck out like a sore thumb."   
  
It only took a few more moments for Bloodhound to begin to knit the pieces together. "You wanted to look different," they realised.   
  
"Uh-huh," he agreed. "When I started getting older the wings, tail, and horns started growing in and a lot of rumours started about my mother because the rest of my brothers didn't look like me. People thinking 'what are the odds that the rest of her kids don't look like that but this one does' and then my dad had fallen out of the picture years ago which just added more fuel to fire."   
  
It was a funny thought at first. They could imagine Elliott much smaller and younger, tail dragging behind him like a kangaroo, playing with his older brothers. But they could also imagine the constant stares at his back, how that may weigh on someone so young.   
  
"I wanted to do what Renee did," he told them. "Knock off my more odd bits so I could fit in with my brothers a bit more. But whenever I tried to learn magic it just blew it up in my face."   
  
Bloodhound felt a shock of cold roll through them and thought of Renee's pale hands on his back, locking away his wings within that seal. "Do you still feel like that?" They asked, trying to keep their desperation out of their tone.   
  
Elliott just let out a cracked laugh, "nah that stuff happened ages ago. You grow up and the stuff that happens when you're younger means less, especially when you move away."   
  
"You won't try to learn that kind of magic that your friend uses, will you?"   
  
"Nah, that stuff's way too complicated for me to learn, Renee's got years on me," he told them and then muttered, "wonder if I could pull some water into wine stunt though."   
  
They smiled a bit, still worried that they could have unwittingly given him a chance to delve into a kind of self-destructive behaviour. However, for now, Elliott seemed enamoured in the pages of the book as he flipped through them with a grin across his face.   
  
"Do you use magic?" He asked. "When you hunt and stuff?"   
  
They considered their response for a moment. "I use a simplistic form of magic when tracking, passed through my family," they eventually settled on, deciding that it lacked enough detail to let him identify anything.   
  
"Hmmm," Elliott thought aloud, "so is that a magical bloodline thing or do you live in a family of humans who just learn magic?"   
  
"I suppose you will never know," they told him with a faint smile on their face while they placed the bottom half of their mask back on. "I have to gather a few more tools before I head out tomorrow, will you be alright before I leave?"   
  
He hummed happily as he continued to skim the pages, "course I will. Or at least I better be fine alone if I'm about to be left alone for a week."   
  
"I've gone over Artur's meal plan with you haven't I?"   
  
"Uh-huh," he said as he waved them off, "we went over it three times and you gave me a laminated copy as well."   
  
"Very well," they agreed with a grin and tugged on a warmer coat before heading out the door.   
  
\-   
  
Even before they finished opening the door to their apartment, Bloodhound could hear a second voice inside. It wasn't the low and tempered voice of Renee but it was nonetheless recognisable.   
  
Inside, a familiar burst of pink and dark leather sat with her legs folded over one another by the coffee table with a steaming mug of hot chocolate.   
  
Elliott was sitting beside her, hands in his laps like he didn't know what to do with them. When he saw Bloodhound his eyes picked and he said, "ah Houndie, look who decided to drop by!"   
  
They closed the door behind them and acted on instinct and asked, "and how did you come across this address Wattson?"   
  
There was a wonderful smile set on her face like she didn't notice their discomfort. "Well, Renee gave it to me of course," she responded.   
  
"After she promised me that she wouldn't tell anyone," Elliott muttered under his breath.   
  
She made and tutting sound, "you can't call Renee a liar when you two have been lying to me for two weeks now! And then Renee has to tell me that you two are just canoodling here!"   
  
"We are not 'canoodling'," they rejected. Although the thought of waking up to Elliott's head in their lap after their movie night automatically came to mind.   
  
Wattson didn't respond to that, instead, she turned to Elliott, "and I'm not done with you! Did you think that I wouldn't try to contact you for over three months?"   
  
"Um…Maybe?" He squeaked.   
  
She made a frustrated noise and kicked one of her prosthetic legs into his ankle. "If you had reached out then maybe I could have helped you," she told him.   
  
"Why would that matter?" He protested. "I was already kicked out of SUCC and I didn't want you to worry about that."   
  
As Bloodhound began to set down the groceries they continued to watch them argue back and forth. Wattson had always seemed like an intelligent and valiant woman to them, they were less concerned with her knowing their address than Renee.   
  
"I knew you were kicked out the second it happened!" She argued. "Of course I knew! But I wanted to hear it from you first, not through local gossip."   
  
"You knew?" He asked baffled.   
  
She sighed and rubbed a hand against a pink horn, "if you had come to me in the first place, I might have been able to help you get your membership back and you wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place!"   
  
"Oh," he grumbled, "didn't think of that."   
  
Bloodhound looked at the two of at them and wondered how long they had known each other. They almost reminded Bloodhound of siblings.   
  
"Well, I hope that staying with Bloodhound will have a positive influence on you," she settled on before she looked over to them. "Elli told me that you bought him books on magic and I can't be more thankful!"   
  
"You are?" They asked and when they looked over at him, they noticed that he was blushing.   
  
"Oh yes!" She agreed. "I've been trying to go goad him into learning magic for years! He has such a natural talent for it but never learned it. Just a few minutes ago he even showed me that he's already learnt how to use a mending spell very competently."   
  
Elliott was poking her in the shoulder like he didn't want her to say anything. When she finished he just crossed his arms and said, "not really…"   
  
"He's just being shy," she promised Bloodhound. "He put together a whole glass before you arrived after it was dropped."   
  
They then focused their attention on Elliott, "you were practicing by breaking my glasses?"   
  
"No-No!" Wattson corrected. "I was the one breaking the glass! I know the spell as well so even if Elliott didn't get it right, I could have fixed it."   
  
That didn’t necessarily calm them and they reminded themselves to check their glasses after Wattson left to make sure that none were cracked.   
  
"I would not mind seeing a demonstration," Bloodhound mentioned.   
  
"Yes! You have to Elli!" Wattson exclaimed while she clapped her hands together.   
  
His foot toed the floorboards, "haha, I'm not too sure about that."   
  
"Please," she whined, "the two of us are going to be gone for a week tomorrow and Bloodhound bought you the book."   
  
Elliott looked uncomfortable but Bloodhound added, "if you are uncomfortable I'd rather you did not push yourself-"   
  
"It's fine!" He assured them. "I've got this, I'm always good to go!"   
  
They wanted to disagree but Elliott flicked through the book and looked over what Bloodhound assumed were the notes for the spell.   
  
Wattson scanned the room and then turned her attention to them and asked, "do you have something that we could break or tear and then put it back together?"   
  
Bloodhound considered that for a moment before they took a kitchen knife and approached the couch. It took a bit of pressure but they dragged the knife across the arm of the lounge in order to create a small tear.   
  
Wattson and Elliott stood up from the couch, she ducked behind Bloodhound to watch him use the magic. Elliott stood next to them, bent slightly at the knees while he placed his hands over the torn fabric of the couch.   
  
"Okay, okay, I've got this," he repeated while he began to focus on that spot.   
  
Elliott exhaled one final time and Bloodhound began to notice a low hum through the air. Nervously, he lifted his hands from the spot where the fabric had been torn and the three of them saw that it looked as if it had never been torn.   
  
Bloodhound was about to say something when immediately the entire couch caught on fire.   
  
\-   
  
It only took a few minutes of rushing to put out the fire with Bloodhound's fire extinguisher while Wattson and Elliott threw water from the sink onto the couch.   
  
When they were all satisfied that the fire had been put out and that there were no sparks left, they all took a long inhale and leaned against the kitchen counter.   
  
After a long pause, Wattson said, "well, at least you got the mending part right."   
  
"I lit a couch on fire, Natalie."   
  
"I was looking at the bright side," she said indignantly.   
  
She approached the couch and tapped it a bit. Bloodhound could tell that the couch hadn't simply been charred from the fire, it looked more or less cooked from the inside out. Wattson rubbed her hands together and they heard the sound of crackling electricity before she tapped the couch.   
  
After a bright flash of light, all that remained from the couch were a few scraps of burnt fabric and ash on the ground.   
  
She looked guiltily back to Bloodhound, "sorry for not asking you first. I thought this might make clean up easier."   
  
Elliott's face was red in embarrassment as he took a dustpan and a plastic bag and began to clean up the remaining ashes. While he was cleaning up he gave a glance at Bloodhound and murmured, "I'm really sorry Hound, I didn't mean to screw up like this."   
  
"It was an accident, there is nothing to be done now," they said simply.   
  
His head stayed ducked down as he continued to clean while Wattson eyed the mess awkwardly.   
  
"I'm so sorry you two," she apologised, "I didn't think this could even happen."   
  
"Thank you Wattson," they told her. "Elliott and I will clean this up from here. I'm sure that you have preparations before the hunt, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."   
  
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to protest but eventually shut it. While she collected her leather jacket she told them, "I promise that I will repay you for the couch," she swore. "After I get paid for work I'll replace it with something even nicer."   
  
They wanted to argue against that, they wanted to be responsible for their own home but Wattson was already moving. With a quick hug from Elliott, no doubt staining her clothes with the ash that had gotten on his hands and shirt. She gave a short salute to Bloodhound, one that they mimicked with a small smile as she ducked through the door with that guilty look still marring her expression.   
  
Wordlessly, Bloodhound joined him as they began to clean up the remaining mess from the couch. "Um, I can sleep on the floor from now on," he offered, "I've still got blankets and pillows."   
  
"That is unacceptable," they affirmed.   
  
Elliott giggled a bit to himself, "I get that you want to a good stubborn host but the only other way is that I share your bed."   
  
"Very well."   
  
"Okay- Wait what."   
  
They stood up with the plastic bag filled with the ashes and set it aside on the counter to be thrown out later. "For tonight we will have to share," they observed, "however, I will be gone for the following week so you will be able to have the bed for yourself."   
  
"Are you sure?" Elliott asked. "I'd rather feel awk- awkward on the ground than make you feel awkward to be in your bed."   
  
"It is simply sharing a bed Elliott," they said, "it is no great discomfort so long that you respect my privacy."   
  
"C-Course," he stuttered. He stared on his knees at them in the kitchen in blankness before he eventually continued, "I'll get dinner on and uh, you've got your big job tomorrow so we can go to sleep earlier."   
  
"Thank you Elliott."   
  
"Ah, you know me, I live to please."   
  
\-   
  
Before Bloodhound invited Elliott into their room they prepared themselves. They had never expected something like this to happen. While they preferred to keep Elliott away and preferred to keep themselves invulnerable, they felt that freezing itch at the thought of him sleeping on the cold floorboards.   
  
They pulled off their mask and set it down on their bedside table. They had figured out a plan to keep their face hidden from him which they proceeded through as they pulled on covering clothes. It was a cold night, so the thick fur cap with ear flaps wouldn't trouble them. They wrapped a thin cotton scarf loosely around the bottom half of their face so that most of their face would stay covered. Finally, they fit a dark set of goggles lined with foam so that the material would not dig into their face while they slept. It was an uncomfortable outfit, but it would do for the night.   
  
"You may come in," they called to him.   
  
Elliott opened the door slowly, he was wearing only a black tank top and tracksuit pants and stood awkwardly at the door. He took a moment to look around the room as he wondered over to the left side of the bed.   
  
They could imagine what he was thinking, taking in the plain stylings of the room mismatched with bursts of odd objects. Souvenirs, weapons and talismans that decorated the walls and the empty corners of the room.   
  
Bloodhound slipped under the covers and turned to face the wall on their side. However, Elliott simply stood there awkwardly. "Are you going to join me?" They asked when he didn't move.   
  
"S-Sure," he said quickly as if snapped out of a trance.   
  
A moment later, they heard the sheets shift as Elliott snuck underneath the covers and faced the wall opposite of that which Bloodhound was facing.   
  
Even though there was plenty of room between them in the king-size bed, they could still feel the warmth that Elliott was giving off from next to them. It was difficult for Bloodhound to concentrate on sleeping with him so close, giving off a warm comfort that was unmatched to any blanket or steaming mug.   
  
Eventually, they led themselves into a slow pattern of breathing that led them into a deep sleep.   
  
When they woke up that heat was much closer.   
  
Bloodhound could feel the warmth of Elliott's arm over their stomach, clinging them close to him. All along their back, they could feel his warm presence and even his breath against the spot of their neck through their clothes.   
  
Elliott was cuddling them in their sleep. At this point, Bloodhound couldn't tell if the red on their face was from him warming them up or if it was a blushing response.   
  
Their first instinct was to wiggle out of his grasp. However, when they tested his grip around their waist, they found that it was too tight to move without Elliott waking up.   
  
Silently, they mouthed the worst swear they could think of when they felt a long exhale from Elliott's mouth on their neck. For a moment afterwards, they simply lay there staring at the wall.   
  
He was just…So warm. So helplessly and undeniably warm.   
  
It was impossible for them to think of cold rushing through their lungs, cracking over their body, not now. Not when Elliott's heat seemed to melt away any of those memories as if they had only ever been a dream in the first place.   
  
Bloodhound knew that it had been a long time since someone had held them like this and although their instincts told them to push him aside and leave, something greater than that urged them to stay.   
  
There was a temptation. To roll over and see his face. To trace along those faint freckles that they hadn't noticed until they had begun to look at him more closely. Run their hands through those thick curls until he woke up, lazy eyes peeking open and he would-   
  
He would flinch at what he saw.   
  
That itching cold was threatening to drag itself back up. Bloodhound knew what Elliott would see. Old cracked scars along their face, faded but nonetheless there.   
  
Elliott's hands may have been warm, but Bloodhound's hands were cold as they slowly and gently pried the arm that lay just above their hip bone. They measured each of his breaths while they moved for any sign that he might soon wake up, pausing when he nudged his head closer or held a breath for too long.   
  
Finally, they separated themselves enough from him so that they could pull themselves out of the bed. Moving with a bit more urgency now, they took their hunter's gear and mask that they had set aside the night before and headed to the door. They would change in the bathroom this morning and leave before Elliott knew they were gone.   
  
Bloodhound quietly toed to the door and ignored that lingering warmth along their spine and the spot on their waist where his hand had been.   
  
As they left, they forced every thought of Elliott out of their mind because they knew that it was the only way that they would have been able to leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this yesterday when it was at 5k words but I really wanted to end this chapter on them sharing a bed, so. Thank you Respawn for confirming that Bloodhound is kind of a dork and I love them even more now. 
> 
> Also, I realised that a lot of the incubus/succubus lore I was playing around with has a lot of sad consequences when you think it out. There was some sad stuff this chapter but NEXT chapter....If it plans out like I have in my notes then the Netflix and Chill session might be a little bit spicier.
> 
> Anyway, if you're enjoying let me know by leaving a comment please! They do much so in sustaining my enthusiasm to write


	5. Chapter Five

Bloodhound had to press their foot against the stomach of the prowler to get enough leverage to pull their axe from the spot where it was stuck between the dead creature's ribs.

They groaned in relief as they freed their axe and surveyed the rest of their surroundings. Wattson was setting up a barricade of traps around them to buy them time in case they faced another surprise attack from a hoard of beasts. At least that was enough assurance for them to catch their breath.

Lifeline was tending to Crypto's injuries, a glowing light against his arm that he had slipped out of his jacket. However, he didn't seem particularly concerned about the wound. Instead, he was focused on wiping off the mud that he had been covered in when he had been sent sprawling by the harsh impact of a prowler's tail.

When Wattson finished setting up her traps she turned to Bloodhound. "So how had you and Elli been getting along before I stopped by?" She asked them.

"Fine," they answered while they brushed off the thicker bits of the mess off of their gear.

"Just wanted to make sure that you too were playing nice," she added. "I didn't think about it but was there another couch or mattress for him to sleep on after the couch was ruined?"

They shook their head, trying to decide how much information to give her, "there was not."

She let out a little gasp, "oh no, where is he sleeping then?" 

"The bed."

It didn't escape their notice that Lifeline was now looking over to the two of them with a grin.

"Really?" Wattson considered aloud. "That's a bit much don't you think?"

They shouldn't have bought that up. They didn't even know why they did. Yet they couldn't deny that they felt a sense of…Pride? Joy? When they mentioned Elliott to others, a sense of warmth from just being affiliated to him. 

After a pause, they responded, "I would prefer to focus on the mission."

Lifeline let out a laugh, "nah don't quit 'ya gossiping, Crypto and I are missing out."

"I agree with Bloodhound," he said pulling away from Lifeline's healing magic. He shrugged back on his jacket and said, "I'm not concerned by whatever new dog Bloodhound has brought."

Wattson and Lifeline laughed at that and Bloodhound fought the need to protest. It felt rude and unkind to call Elliott a pet. Although they were reminded of Elliott's wagging tail.

Lifeline cut in and added, "nah, they've got an incubus staying with them."

"I see," he said in a funny tone like he was hiding a laugh.

Desperate to reclaim some dignity Bloodhound interrupted, "it's not what it sounds like."

"I don't care," Crypto told them in a tone that meant he was privately filing this information away for later.

"That's not what it's like!" Wattson protested but they could tell that she was also trying not to laugh. Still, she turned her attention back to them and asked, "But you're not making him sleep at the end of the bed are you?"

"Wow," they heard Crypto mutter under his breath.

They attached their axe back onto their hip and told Wattson, "stop making it sound so…Indecent."

Lifeline laughed, "from what I've heard, she doesn't need any help to do that."

"I've heard all that I need to," he stated flatly.

With a growing grin on her face, she turned to Crypto, "you're one to talk. Octavio told me that you two have moved in together."

"Rent is very expensive where I live," he said simply, "having a roommate is useful."

"Uh-huh," Lifeline hummed, "and does Tavi think that you two are 'roommates'?"

He stared with his brows narrowed for a few moments. When he realised that the smug smile on her face wasn't going to disappear any time soon he requested, "go back to bothering Bloodhound instead."

Lifeline looked back to Bloodhound and asked, "so how much longer is he sticking around for?"

"A little over two months," they answered.

"Better make a move soon," Wattson observed.

Although they didn't want to feed into an interest for gossip they couldn't help but ask, "what do you mean?"

Wattson simply shrugged as she continued to brush dirt off of her jacket. "Well, Elli's always tended to lose interest in someone unless he knows that they want him to stay," she explained. "If you want him to stay then you'll have to tell him outright because he won't pick it up through subtlety."

Bloodhound was ready to deny Wattson's gossip and her idea of their…Relationship as simple imagination. They were snapped out of the opportunity when the growling of prowlers filled the mine walls again and they lifted their axe.

\- 

Bloodhound couldn't have been more eager that their mission had ended. They had often enjoyed prolonged hunts, it allowed themselves time to focus. However, they hadn't been able to focus throughout the mission, their mind was on how Elliott was faring. He would be alone for a week and while they had stocked him with plenty of materials to keep busy, they worried that he would suffer without the satisfaction of human interaction.

Their lack of focus had cost them a rather nasty bite to the leg at one point. Even though Lifeline had been able to heal the wound, they could still feel where those teeth had bit into them fiercely.

So it was a relief to return to their apartment, they had shed some of their gear as they rode the elevator. There were parts of their gear that had been smacked with blood and mud that they paid attention to as they dragged off those sections. They were in desperate need for a proper shower and they were sure that their hair beneath their mask would be matted with knots. At least they had returned home. 

As Bloodhound opened the door they called, "Elliott, I've returned!" 

The kitchen and living room were empty of any sign of Elliott. The TV was still on and a few bowls littered the kitchen sink. "Elliott?" They tried again only to hear no response. 

They dropped off those mud-smacked layers so that they felt a bit lighter although they were still covered. Finally, they found Elliott resting on his stomach in their bed without a shirt on, covered in a thin sweat and shaking. 

Bloodhound approached a bit closer and they heard Elliott make a barely coherent noise. His face was resting against the pillow with his bloodshot eyes that were barely open enough to look up at them. Even though it looked like he had been staying in the bed for a long time, it looked like he had hardly gotten any sleep. 

They rested their hand on the bed just in front of him so that they could lean closer. "Elliott, can you say something?" They asked with urgency beginning to inch into their voice. 

His trembling hand slowly reached out grasp their wrist and he let out a little whine. 

Bloodhound let out a low exhale and began to withdraw, "I'm going to get you some water and I'll come back." 

Elliott shook his head into the pillow and made a little whimpering sound while his grip on their wrist got a little tighter. Bloodhound tried to tug away but was kept from leaving by the desperate look in Elliott's eyes. 

He opened his mouth a few times and tried to speak but could hardly make a sound with his strained voice. Instead, he nudged back to make more room on the bed and kept watching them. 

With an exhale, they set themselves onto the bed and laid down next to him, allowing Elliott to keep hold of their wrist. Bloodhound stretched out their legs and a second later they felt Elliott's tail wrap around their leg while his head was set down on their chest. 

"I should get you food," they told him gently, "water at least."

They felt Elliott tug their wrist a little tighter and he murmured in a hoarse voice, "please stay."

Bloodhound relaxed into the bedding, allowing Elliott to comfortably rest his head on their chest. Satisfied that they weren't going to move, Elliott let out a sound that was almost like a purr. 

"You should get some sleep," they whispered to him. 

He shook his head against their chest, "too tired to sleep." 

They chucked silently, "that doesn't make sense."

"Missed you saying stuff like that," he mumbled. "Missed you. Got scared thinking that you wouldn't come back."

"I'm back now," Bloodhound assured him.

They were barely thinking when they raised their hand to comb it through his hair. It just felt so natural with him lying on their chest that they couldn't help it. They were about to stop when they heard Elliott let out a small whine.

Their hand stiffened in his hair, "should I stop?"

"No," he murmured into their chest. "Never." 

They tried not to let out a shaky breath as their hand delved back into his hair. It was so beautifully thick and curly to touch. They were gentle as they brushed his hair out his eyes, he looked so fragile to them. 

Bloodhound's thumb brushed along one his horns and they felt Elliott trembling. "Does that hurt?" They asked him.

"No," he said quietly and trailed off as their hand returned to his hair. They almost didn't hear him when he asked, "do they bother you?"

"No," they whispered. "Never." 

It was impossible to tell but they thought that Elliott might have been smiling into their chest. 

He looked so adorable, they weren't used to being gentle or tender. In fact, Bloodhound was so worried about hurting him that they were more petting him than truly combing their hands through his hair. Elliott seemed to mind that and he gently headbutted their hand until they began to massage his scalp.

Elliott nudged his head a bit closer to Bloodhound, keeping his chin on their chest so that Bloodhound could see his face. He looked wonderfully drowsy and relaxed, unlike the exhaustion that had plagued him when Bloodhound had first entered the room.

His eyes were shut, his brows narrowed together, and lip bitten softly while they continued to massage his head. They had to admit that they liked seeing how he reacted to their touch. How he let out a little exhale when they would softly comb through his dark curls only to then rake their nails against his scalp. 

Uncertain what to do with their other hand, Bloodhound set it against that spot on their back where Renee had left that mark when she had sealed away his wings. When they brushed over that spot Elliott shivered and nestled closer to them.

Bloodhound tapped their nail against his horn and heard Elliott giggle a bit. "Can you feel that?" They asked him, dragging a nail along his horn.

Drowsily, Elliott mumbled, "a little, feels nice but I prefer you pulling my hair." 

Bloodhound choked silently on air but kept quiet. Elliott's lack of signature laugh after an indecent joke made them think that he was too tired to realise how the joke could be interpreted.

"I-" they broke off when Elliott made another low whimpering sound. "I need to shower." 

"Mmm, don't," he murmured and wrapped an arm around their waist. 

"I haven't cleaned up in days," they protested. 

They felt Elliott's next groan reverberate against their chest when he groaned, "just a little bit longer."

They sighed but continued to run their hand through his hair to his wishes. They were tempted to take off their mask, if only to see what he might look without their lenses.

"Alright," they promised him. "Just a bit longer."

\- 

Bloodhound woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. Even from their room, they couldn't escape the sweet and savoury smells coming from the kitchen. Nor could they ignore the sounds, Elliott was singing something that they couldn't quite understand through the door. Singing, humming and whistling a tune that they had never heard while he paced around the kitchen. 

Their eyes dropped down and they saw that their hand had remained on the spot on their chest where his face had been. They could almost still feel an imprint of Elliott on them, a wonderful heavy warm blanket, they weren't surprised that they had fallen asleep beside him. 

They had even fallen asleep with their boots still on and as they rose from their bed they regretfully realised that they would have to wash the dirt and mess that they had tracked onto their sheets. They must have slept in more than they would have liked to and dry sweat was still clinging to them from the hunt.

Although, that tiredness melted away when Elliott picked up a higher note and they heard the tapping of a spatula against a pan. Bloodhound dragged themselves out of their room and into the kitchen. There, Elliott was slightly dancing as he grabbed ingredients and shuffled around happily. That pink and white frilly apron was on him again, although at least this time he was wearing clothes underneath it.

When he noticed that they had come into the room his smile brightened and he stopped pouring maple syrup onto the stack of pancakes he had made. "Morning sleepyhead!" He called out. "I started brewing your tea a few minutes ago so it should be just about ready any moment." 

They cleared the early morning gravel from their throat, "thank you."

As they came close to sit by kitchen counter they picked up on something else that they hadn't noticed before. A smell underneath the grease of the pans and Elliott's morning coffee.

They blinked wildly only just noticing that his hair was wet. "Did you use my body wash?" They asked. 

"The whole nose thing is making me think that you're a were-something," he said. "But yeah I ran out of mine so I used yours this morning."

"Mine," they repeated blankly.

"Uh," he paused his breakfast preparations for a second. "Is there something wrong with that?"

They plucked the plate that Elliott was preparing and set it in front of them. "Not at all," they told him, ignoring the hoarseness that crept into their voice. 

Elliott immediately stole back the plate. "Nuh-uh," he scolded. "I haven't even put bacon or strawberries on this yet." 

"You…" They trailed off for a moment and watched as Elliott swished around to prepare the rest of the plate. They kept out every invasive thought in their head. How short the apron ended at his thighs. How he smelt like them, as if they had some kind of claim on him. How they wondered what noise he would make if they leaned over the counter and tugged at his tail a bit, to see if he would make that noise from weeks ago. 

"You seem in a much better state than last night," they observed.

He laughed awkwardly, "uh, yeah definitely better. Thanks for paying me a bit of attention there before, I know that you that you don't really like doing that kind of stuff."

"It was no issue," they told him. _I want to stand behind you and wrap my hands around your waist while you cook_ , a voice in their head thought. 

He sighed in relief, "well if I was you I wouldn't turn down Natalie's offer to buy a couch for you. That way you won't have to deal with this bed bug for much longer." 

"I can buy a couch myself, though I wouldn't turn down Wattson's offer," they said. _I want to wake up and kiss your freckles until I see you smile._

"Whatever works," Elliott said with a shrug. He laid both plates in front of him and added a dollop of whipped cream to both plates. At first, he struggled to get it from the can and it ended up spraying onto his fingers instead. 

After he set one of the plates in front of Bloodhound, he eagerly lapped up the cream from his fingers, his pink tongue darting out to catch the bits in between his fingers. 

_I wonder if his mouth is as warm as the rest of him_ , they couldn't stop themselves from thinking.

Bloodhound wanted to smack themselves in the face for thinking that and pushed their counter stool back and stood up immediately.

"Hey, where are you going?" Elliott asked. 

"I-," they broke off when they didn't have an answer. "I have to take a shower, I'm filthy."

"At least have breakfast first or it'll get cold," he beckoned them.

Elliott was giving them those puppy dog eyes of his again. But that wasn't what Bloodhound saw. They remembered how his eyes had looked at them while they had massaged his head. Eyes softly lidded and peeking out and up at them. Eyebrows knitted together in comfortable pleasure. Lip biting his mouth only to swallow little whines or breaths, sometimes his tongue darting out to lick at his lips. 

"Bloodhound?" He pressed when they just stood there staring. "Please have breakfast first. You seem pretty tired and I don't want you slipping in the shower." 

"A-Alright," they obeyed. They sat back in their chair and gave Elliott a signal to turn around so that Bloodhound could remove their mask to eat.

They wondered if Elliott could feel how they did. He did pick up on satisfaction or pleasure from others as energy. They nervously considered if he would be able to tell the difference. Did he notice how loved and safe they felt when he fell asleep on their chest? He had seemed nervous when he had first seen Bloodhound that morning. They weren't sure if it was because he feared that he had made them uncomfortable or if he had been able to tell how much Bloodhound had indulged in being able to touch him.

Bloodhound swore to themselves that they wouldn't try anything. Even if when Elliott arrived he had made jokes about 'seducing' them, they were sure that they were only that, jokes. It would be unfair to attempt anything, especially when Elliott was confined to their apartment.

 _Ignore it,_ they told themselves. As long as they set strict boundaries for themselves then nothing would happen.

"I've finally outdone myself, I declare these as perfect pancakes," he said, back facing them. Bloodhound stopped drinking their tea when Elliott took another bite and let out a drawn-out moan from the taste. "Mmm, I was right these are amazing." 

Bloodhound might have underestimated how easy it would be ignore Elliott.

-

A day at home turned out to be just what they needed. Being able to scrub off the dirt that had even worked its way onto their skin was a rewarding task for them. While it was still wet they began to braid their hair, they knew that if they left it dry it would only go frizzy in the warmer humidity than came with spring in Solace. 

Elliott had gone out of his way to prepare Bloodhound's favourite meals throughout the day. They joined Elliott whenever he cooked and asked how his week had gone. They learned that he had mostly ignored practicing magic because of the fire from earlier, although, he had read the book cover to back several times to learn the theory. 

It was while Elliott was preparing for dinner that he asked, "so now that you're back, do you still want me to share a bed with you?" 

Bloodhound blinked behind their mask, "I would hardly throw you to the floorboards now." 

"I know," he said quickly. "I was just worried that…Well, yesterday I got a bit…Clingy." 

"It wasn't…" They trailed off. "I don't mind helping you."

A forced smile made its way onto Elliott's face. "Uh, yeah duh," he stuttered. "You w-were helping me out and all, thanks." 

They cringed but forced themselves not to stiffen up. Instead, they focused back onto the new puzzle that they had bought, they hadn't particularly cared for them before. However, since Elliott had moved in, they had earned a new fondness for them. 

"I shouldn't need to take on any extended hunts for now," they told him. "Perhaps for a day or two, not a week." 

Elliott rubbed the back of his head, "uh, sorry to make you worry like that. It's sort of embarrassing for you to have to deal with me." 

_Deal with him_. 

Perhaps that was what it was for Elliott. A sense of guilt wriggled through Bloodhound, Elliott's need for contact and satisfaction wasn't just a want, it was a necessity. And Bloodhound was ashamed that they were gaining some kind of satisfaction while he was so vulnerable.

Elliott, of course, washed away any awkwardness with a funny story or anecdote. Bloodhound learned that he had been a bartender at a club but had recently quit due to his mother's declining health. It didn't escape their notice that he preferred to skirt around the specific details of his mother's health, though they didn't push him.

After that, he hadn't felt comfortable returning to work and had been staying around the homes of friends or answering whatever summoning piqued his curiosity. His life seemed so entertaining free, living off of whim and will. However, Bloodhound did not envy him, they were content with their purpose.

After dinner, Bloodhound took the initiative to move the TV to their bedroom. There, they set it up on the small table at the end of the bed. Elliott had smacked his forehead when they saw them setting up the TV and had sworn at himself for not thinking of it earlier.

As they both tucked under the sheets for the night, Elliot was already starting the movie that he had queued up for the night. He had ranted about it to Bloodhound all day, a favourite that he had spotted on Netflix a few days earlier but he had waited until they had returned.

While they wanted to take their mind off…Everything. They were both awkwardly set up against the bedframe, hands in their laps and desperate to keep their eyes on the screen.

Eventually, Elliott asked, "so, um, can I still lie on you or is that off the table?"

"Whatever is the most comfortable for you."

He snorted, "alright just kick me out if I'm bothering you."

Bloodhound expected him to lay his head on their shoulder. Instead, they forced themselves to keep their eyes off of Elliott as he tucked into his side and rested his head onto their lap. While he moved, they shifted their hand from their side to make room for his body and rested it on the bed frame instead. 

When he noticed how stiff they were he said, "uh, if you want to…You know, do some of that stuff from the other night I'd be okay if with…If you're also cool with it I mean." 

"From the other night?" They asked although they were certain that they knew what he meant. 

"You know," he mumbled bashfully, "uh, you could…Touch my hair and stuff." 

They pulled away their arm that was resting on the bed frame, it hovered just above Elliott's head. They wanted so badly to indulge that they felt guilty from it. Although Elliott had asked them unprovoked, they thought that his words must have meant something. 

Elliott turned his head back towards the movie, waiting for Bloodhound's decision silently. 

Bloodhound didn't risk taking a deep breath, too nervous that Elliott might pick up on their nervousness through the reverberations of their respirator. They started slower than they had the night before. Starting by brushing their thumb along the shaved side of his head while their fingers brushed the spot where curls began. 

They saw Elliott's shoulders relax as he shrugged in his spot until he was more comfortable with his head in their lap. It wasn't long before their lack of self-control won out, savouring the feeling of twirling his curls in their fingers. Brushing along the bottom of his shaved side to notice the little shiver that he would give when they brushed along the back of his neck. 

There was no place that Bloodhound would rather be.

A few minutes later, Elliott's head turned away from the TV and he looked up at Bloodhound, who was forced to pause their movements. 

"I have a theory," he finally said. 

"Oh?" 

There was a small comfortable smile gracing his face, "I think that you're beautiful under that mask." 

They stiffened in their place. "You imagine what you want to believe," they said dimly, "because it comforts you." 

Elliott didn't absorb any of the cold from their voice. That smile that on his face remained as he hummed, "mmm, I think you're wrong." 

"You may think that way."

"Are you actually hiding a super-secret identity?" He teased. "I can see you being into vigilante justice."

Bloodhound's laugh came from the back of their throat, lightly jostling Elliott's head in their lap. "Isn't the point of being a vigilante is that you wouldn't recognise my identity if you saw my face?" They laughed.

"That's what I mean," Elliott said. "When you laugh I can't tell if it's because you're happy or if you're just humouring me." 

"Trust that I wouldn't simply entertain you by lying to you," they told him.

Elliott hummed again, the sound bordering on frustrated. "I know," he said. "Or at least, I think I know or I can feel it when you're happy or…" 

They dreaded asking but still begged the question, "or?" 

Elliott was silent, staring into the reflection from the lenses of their mask. "I think," he began, "that you want me to take your mask off. That's what I feel…Or maybe that's something that I'm picking up through you? It's not easy to tell." 

Did Bloodhound want to take off their mask? They weren't sure themselves. There was a temptation, rising in their gut like a restless itch that wouldn't leave until it was scratched. They had gotten used to quashing those small needs and luxuries that they had never truly required. 

But Elliott wasn't a small need. He wasn't something that they had been able to push aside, ignore or forget and instead devolve themselves into a hunt. 

"I am not…" They trailed off dejectedly. "I fear that you've made some notion in your mind of how I look." 

"I'm not asking because I want to see a nice face," he told them. "I'm asking because I want to see your face." 

Bloodhound frowned at that. It seemed too remarkably cliché to be true and yet they wanted to believe him. 

Slowly, they lifted their hand that had been entangled in Elliott's hair to the latches attaching their mask to their gear. It wasn't a complicated process but they were thankful that it was a long one. 

They looked down at Elliott once more before they began to pull their mask off. They felt the sides pinch their ears briefly and a second later it was removed, their face was brushed with the air of the apartment that they hadn't felt in a long time. 

At first, Bloodhound couldn't bear to look down at Elliott. They kept their vision pinned on the TV in front of them and the movie which had been paused. They knew that Elliott must have seen some glimpses of them from this angle. That he would see cold scars marring their neck, faded from the years perhaps, but nonetheless there. He would be able to see the hint of a sharp jawline, and a mess of dark red hair that they had braided earlier in the day. 

They felt a hand on their chin, Elliott's, and they leaned into the movement as he pulled their face closer towards him. From this angle, nothing was hidden from him. 

His lips were partly open and they heard a slight "oh" pass from his mouth. 

Bloodhound cringed and pulled away from his hand. "Yes, 'oh,'" they agreed. 

Elliott just shook his head, that signature smile tugging at his lips. "I mean 'oh' as in 'oh you're beautiful'," he clarified. 

"You do not have to act kind-" 

"Pft, 'act'?" He laughed. "Are you kidding me? God, you're a knockout. How do you even get your hair to be that colour? There's no way that's natural. It's all super…Uh, what's the word? Striking. But good striking. Like when you buy something at a vending machine and it gives you another item for free."

"I am so honoured to be compared to a vending machine," they mocked but couldn't help the smile slowly growing on their face and leaned back into Elliott's hand. 

He gave a little gasp when he saw them smile, "and your smile is - wait are those canines? Do you always have your hair like that when you're wearing the mask? I was so right about you being a knockout, wasn't I? 

They couldn't even respond any of his questions, too swept up in silent laughter and the desire to just take everything in. Had they really been so worried? Elliott seemed to wash away their worries or fears with each word of praise and compliment. 

Elliott rolled off of their lap and onto his elbows instead to have a better look at them. "I'm really getting those secret vigilante vibes from you right now," he teased.

"As I said," they corrected, desperately trying to wipe the ridiculous smile off of their face. "A secret identity is obsolete if you were able to recognise my face from vigilantism in the first place." 

"Hm," Elliott wondered. "But what if your whole thing as a vigilante was that when you fought crime, you didn’t wear a mask. And then in your normal life, you _always_ wear a mask so no one would suspect you." 

"I think that would make people suspect you more." 

"You seem very well-informed on this whole vigilante subject," he whispered as if he was keeping a secret. "Maybe I've got you on your toes because I've figured out your scheme." 

Bloodhound rolled their eyes, a look that made Elliott gasp and ask, "how often do you do that while I'm talking?" 

They were about to answer when they looked back at his face and paused. 

"What is that?" They asked.

"What is what?" 

"Your face is-" They said and when they began to point out the change, Elliott immediately pushed his face into the bedding below. 

They blinked a few times, wondering if perhaps they had imagined it. After a moment of confusion, they shook him at the shoulder and he eventually rolled his face back up to look at them. 

Bloodhound had not been wrong. His eyes and freckles were different, brighter. They reached out but didn't quite touch him, hovering close to where his freckles had turned bright, like little specks of gold. His eyes had taken on a similar colour, the brown had shifted to a colour that reminded them of melted gold or bright caramel. 

"Why is-" they started to ask but were cut off by Elliott's groan.

He pressed his hands against his face in an attempt to cover up the new changes. "Don't look," he groaned, "it's embarrassing."

They dropped the hand that had been close to touching his freckles and slid it beneath his chin, tipping it up gently. "Moments ago you were disappointed that I had hidden my face from you," they said gently, "do you think I feel any different for you?"

They felt the breath from Elliott's sigh as he dragged his hands away from his face. "This is so dumb," he complained. 

Bloodhound withdrew their hand from Elliott's chin, instead, using it to prop themselves up a bit as they leaned closer on the bed. "What is it?" They asked. 

"It's just a dumb thing that sometimes happens," he complained and waved at the air in front of his cheeks as if he could cool down the gold spots. "Look…It happens if I've got a lot of energy or I'm especially happy or satisfied."

"I've never seen you do that before." 

His eyes avoided theirs when he admitted, "well before I hadn't felt like this." 

"Like what?" They asked, desperate for an answer. 

"I…I'm not good with words," he murmured, rubbing at his cheekbone where a cluster of those gold stars decorated him. 

Bloodhound shuffled onto their knees on the bed, resting a hand close to Elliott's. "You don't need to use words," they whispered to him. 

They saw his golden eyes flicker up to meet theirs. He pushed himself off of his elbows, a delicate and nerve-wracking slowness for Bloodhound to handle. 

"Show me, Elliott." 

He didn't need to be told twice. 

Elliott's knees found purchase on either side of their thighs and half a second later Bloodhound felt his mouth on theirs. This was it. This what they had wanted so badly. Lovely and fast, neither could stand falling into a slow rhythm as they kissed.

Bloodhound brushed their hands along his waist, needing to touch more, feel more of that warm skin of his. Elliott settled closer into their lap and they couldn't help but moan when they felt his lovely warm tongue brush against their bottom lip.

They pulled back from Elliott to catch their breath for a second, overwhelmed but needy for more all the same. One of their hands remained on his hip, firm and possessive, while the other wondered to his cheekbone to brush against freckles that looked even brighter than before.

"You are so sweet," they whispered. 

"I'm not adorable and sweet," he said with a pout that just made him look even more adorable in Bloodhound's opinion. "You're going to ruin my incubus branding, can't you call me hot or sexy or the dark prince of all your sinful desires?"

They pressed a kiss against his jawline. "You are both sweet," they said before adding another kiss, "and sexy, and a beautiful prince of hidden desires." 

He opened his mouth again with a faint smile, no doubt some sarcastic comment, but they silenced him easily when they started chasing kisses down his neck. 

They smiled against his collarbones when they heard him swear and grip onto their gear tighter. Eagerly, he started pulling at any part of it that he could find in an attempt to get it off. 

"It's not as easy to get that off as it looks," they warned him, pulling them away from where they were about to lay a bite on his neck. 

"Don't care," he mumbled, "I'll figure out, I can figure it out right? Can I take this off you?" 

"You're never going to get it off like that," they told him. "Allow me." 

Elliott grinned and stretched out on the bed like a cat while Bloodhound stood up to take off their gear. "Is this where I get a striptease?" He asked. 

"No," they said flatly and pulled off the overcoat of their gear and dropped it to the ground with a heavy thud. 

"You look pretty good from where I'm standing."

"Shouldn't you be getting undressed as well?"

He looked at them flatly and it only took a snap of his fingers before his clothes were gone without a trace. "Well right now my magic is more useful than yours," he said smugly.

They had just pulled off their boots when they noticed Elliott slip off the bed to come in front of them. Hands around their neck while he walked them back until they bumped against the edge of the bed and sat down there. 

Bloodhound expected Elliott to straddle them again, they were eager for another chance to strum their fingers against his sides. Instead, they watched him lower himself onto his knees and rest a hand on their thigh, pulling them apart slightly to lay a kiss on their muscled thigh. 

"Elliott wait, I want to touch you-" They started but broke off when he placed a kiss further along their thigh.

"Got plenty of time for that later," he purred and kneaded his hand against their hip. "Let me show you some care for now." 

They wanted to feel him so badly but they couldn't deny that they wanted Elliott to touch them more. They gripped the edges of the bed with their hands and watched as they let Elliott pry apart their thighs further.

Elliott took his time laying weak bites against their thighs and then soothing them with his warm tongue. They knew that he was going to leave marks tomorrow but they couldn't bring themselves to care when they knew no one would see them. Except for Elliot, they'd let him leave all the marks he wanted. They wanted to know if he'd mind if they left him with some as well, beautiful purple marks against his skin that would mark him as theirs.

"Enough teasing," they growled.

Elliott flicked his eyes up, looking at them beneath his long eyelashes with a drowsy smile. He reached out to their hands that been gripping the bedsheets tightly and tugged at them. Bloodhound let him as he directed them to hold onto his horns and Bloodhound couldn't help but groan at the sight of Elliott. 

On his knees, hair a mess, half-lidded eyes prepared to focus upon command and their hands set on his horns that were ready to issue that command. Testing their grip, Bloodhound pulled him closer to them while they spread their thighs further.

"Do I have to move your mouth for you too?" They asked frustrated.

They could feel Elliott's breath against them when he laughed low and deep, "just don't want to rush you too much." 

"If you don't hurry up and do something-" they warned. 

And stopped when they felt Elliott's mouth flat against them. Their grip on his horns tensed as they broke off with a staggered breath. Elliott's eyes looked up at them, a smile hidden in them as his mouth focused on them entirely. 

They were glad that he didn't keep a slow rhythm as his mouth moved against them. It was a struggle to keep their eyes open when Elliott just wouldn't let up his mouth. His mouth was so warm and perfect, fuck they would keep him snug against them all day if they could. But what they enjoyed most was the way his tongue would dip against them, lovely and flat with enough pressure that it pulled a moan from their lips every time. 

" _Helvíti,_ " they moaned. "Gods, you're so good for me." 

They felt the vibrations when Elliott groaned in response. Gods, even like this they could so many noises from him. When they clenched around his horns, when their hand would drift into his hair and rake through his curls only to tug at them the next moment. 

"So beautiful," they told him again and again through moans and harsher growls that he pulled from their throat. 

When his hands lifted from his sides to grasp onto their thighs for purchase, they saw an opportunity. 

Bloodhound tugged at his horns hard enough to let him know to pause for a second, his hands stilling before they could touch their thighs. His eyes looked up at them slightly widened, a plain look of confusion.

"Ah," they said, their tone gravelly and low, "I don't remember saying that you could use your hands."

Elliott blinked but it only took another second before he set his clenched fists aside. 

"Good," they told him and the low whimper that he let out didn't escape their attention. "Continue." 

He seemed more dedicated than before. They still had control but any coherent thoughts were quickly lathered away by Elliott's hot tongue. He was so attentive and perfect, the only thing they missed was hearing his mouth run, later they could test that.

If Bloodhound had known all of this the first night they had met they might not have turned down his offer. 

It was easy to indulge in that idea. "Is this what you wanted when we first met?" They asked him, knowing that they wouldn’t receive an answer although they felt his mouth quicken in pace. "To service me? Were you waiting for me to ask you to sit on your knees and obey my word?" 

They felt Elliott moan heavily against them and they couldn't help but pause to bathe in the sound. They weren't sure how they found their voice but they continued, "or were you imagining myself at your feet to play with? Perhaps later. I wonder what exactly you expected me to do when I found you dressed in those outfits. I may have said that they were uncreative but…I couldn't help but think of you wearing them from time to time." 

They were so close, they couldn't hold out against Elliott's perfect mouth. One of their hands stayed on his horn while the other snaked into the curls of his hair, making sure that he was kept as close as possible. 

"Elliott, I- Fókk," they moaned when they felt that pressure building in them snap. Their grip on him tightened as they bucked his face, forcing their eyes from closing and focused on Elliott's beautiful face while they rode out their orgasm. Elliott worked his mouth against them, their toes curling against the floor in the aftershocks. They kept him against them until the overstimulation began to wind into discomfort and they released him.

They panted through it until they could find their voice again and looked down at Elliott. He was still on his knees, head resting against their knee while palmed his erection. Bloodhound couldn't help but indulge brushing their hand across this collarbone and neck, skimming the spaces where they'd leave marks on him. 

When the feeling returned to their legs they shuffled themselves back onto the bed and stretched their legs out while their back sat against the bed frame.

"Elliott," they said, "come here, let me repay you."

They didn't expect a coarse laugh to fall from his throat. "I-I-It's okay if you d-don't want to," he offered, "I can do it myself-" 

Their eyes narrowed and focused back on him. " _Elskan_ , you would be hard-pressed to find something right now that I would want more," they said softly. "Did you think I'd leave you hanging and to sleep on the ground?"

"It's happened before." 

Their lip curled in disgust and they beckoned Elliott to lie beside them before they hooked a thigh over his hip and straddled him. "Not while I have you," they promised him. "Whatever you want, whatever you need, should you ask for it."

Elliott leaned back into the pillows and they noticed his tail writhing by his side. "Please touch me," he begged. 

They laid a kiss on his earlobe before they whispered, "of course, _elskan_." 

Bloodhound licked the palm of their hand, it wasn't much but along with the pre-cum from Elliott, it was enough that they were able to set a nice pace to begin. As eager as they were to lay those marks on him, for now, they wanted to watch the little faces he made as they touched him. He never bit his lip to hold in the noises he made and Bloodhound was thankful for that. Already storing the sweet expressions that he made. 

On a certain twist as they stroked him upwards they noticed how his tail was lightly thudding against the bedding. With the memory of the last time they had touched his tail in mind, they reached out to take it into their grasp. 

Instantly, Elliott reacted, bucking up into their firm grip on his cock and eyes snapping open. "Hound, shit-"

"You once told me that this was sensitive," they noted and tugged along the tail, watching Elliott's hips shaking forward into their grip at each tug. 

"Fuck," he moaned, "so good, so much-" 

Both of Bloodhound's hands stroked against his cock and tail and Elliott writhed against the bed. He was even more vocal now, letting out little curses and begging sounds. He seemed caught between both points of stimulation, bucking back forth between one another. 

"Such pretty noises," they cooed, "are you going to cum Elliott?" 

He barely seemed to hear them but he nodded his head rapidly. Eyes shut from the waves of stimulation, there was a reason why he barely ever let anyone touch his tail but he'd never been more glad that Bloodhound had the idea to do so. 

"P-Please so close," he whined, "just like that, just like that-" 

"Cum for me _elskan_ ," they murmured into his ear, "such a good boy for me, going to cum in my hand-" 

They squeezed along his tail until they stroked against the heart-shaped tip of his tail and Elliott broke out into a light groan. They stroked him through his orgasm, letting his tail relax from their grip and focused on stroking his cock as he came in their hand. 

"That's it," they purred, "you look so beautiful when you cum."

When it became too much they pulled away from his cock, knowing that they'd clean the mess up later. Elliott was boneless against the bed though they drew a giggle from him when they started kissing those golden freckles of his.

They promised him that they'd only be a minute when Elliott had tried to pull them into a cuddle when they left the room. When they returned it only took them a minute to clean up the mess on Elliott's stomach. Once Bloodhound had set down the rag Elliott took the first opportunity he could to spoon them.

There were consequences and repercussions from this that they knew they should be thinking of but they had decided that those would wait until morning.

Elliott pulled them a little bit closer and set his head on their shoulder. "Mmm," he hummed. "If I knew that was going to be the outcome then I would've tried way harder to seduce you in the beginning." 

They laughed a bit and smiled into their pillow when they felt his arm wrap around their waist. "I believe that your creativity ended at those outfits," they teased. 

"Is that so?" He asked. "Because just then it sounded like you liked my outfits quite a bit." 

They blushed into the pillow, oh god they had said that. "You must have misheard," they said quickly. 

Elliott laughed quietly before he nuzzled into their neck. "So what does that word that you were saying mean?"

"What word?"

"Uh, something like ek-elk-"

" _Elskan_ ," they corrected quietly. "It…It is a pet name, like dear or darling." 

Elliott was quiet behind them and for a moment they worried that they had said something wrong.

But Elliott tugged them in a bit closer by their waist. A second later they heard him murmur quietly, "I like that a lot."

After that, it was easy to fall asleep in Elliott's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god these chapters keep getting bigger and bigger. 
> 
> But hey at least that means I'm posting a lot of content. 
> 
> If you've been enjoying this so far let me know by throwing a kudos/comment at me <3 I love reading them all and it inspires me to write!


	6. Chapter Six

Bloodhound had gotten used to quiet mornings during their hunt away from Elliott. Waking to the faint sounds of water dripping from the cavern walls of the mine or Lifeline tapping her sticks against the walls. They had adjusted to Crypto's quiet stares, as discerning and off-putting as they tended to be. They had even become fond of Wattson's tendency to begin games of eye-spy in the tunnels of the mine.

They may have adjusted to sleeping on the harsh ground and the constant state of vigilance. However, they had never awoken to a morning where they hadn't missed Elliott's breakfasts while they were away.

At first, it had seemed like such an insignificant thing that they thought they would shake off. They had accepted that they had indulged slightly too much in Elliott's cooking and pampering. They were certain that they would simply adjust without him on the hunt. And yet, every morning when they awoke, their body ached with tiredness that would normally be soothed by Elliott's French toast or an omelette. 

Most of all they missed how he would make tea. That did not mean that he was good at making it, by all standards, he was rather terrible at it and Bloodhound could not understand how he seemed so inept at it. Sometimes he would steep it for too short a time, leaving it with barely any flavour to be taste and other times he would entirely forget about it, leaving it too cold and bitter.

What they missed was when he would realise the error and groan, he would turn to them and always begin a story by saying, "this is just like the time when..."

And while he would ramble his story they would both face away from each other while Bloodhound sipped their imperfect tea. They had missed those mornings while they were away and doubted that anything else would be able to come close to them. 

Waking up swaddled in Elliott's arms replaced any other alternative of a perfect morning. Even if Bloodhound wanted to move, they wouldn't be able to. Elliott's arms were wrapped around them tightly, legs messily entangled and face buried into their neck while he let out little breaths. Even though he was smaller than them, he had a strength that Bloodhound could feel through the arm that was slung around their waist.

Their arms felt heavy and sluggish against the bed and they were certain that they'd slept in later than Bloodhound would like. Still, they were filled with a restless energy that they don't know what to do with. They strummed mindlessly at the bedding, they wanted to hold Elliott but in this position, it wasn't easy to reach back and touch him. 

Bloodhound pulled back their arm and brushed against Elliott's hip, smiling a little when they felt him shuffle in his spot. They hid their smile against the pillow when they felt him rub his face into their shoulder and lifted a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Mornin,'" he mumbled into their neck. "Mmm, you're snuggly."

"Snuggly?"

He moved a bit behind them and adjusted his grip around their waist. "You're the snuggliest," he murmured. 

They chuckled slightly, "I don't think I could move if I could try." 

"O-Oh, uh right," he stuttered and to their disappointment, he withdrew his hands and squirmed back to the other side of the bed. 

Bloodhound could still feel the warmth from Elliott along their spine as they rolled over to face him. He had shoved his elbow underneath for some leverage, the golden light in his eyes had returned back to brown along with his freckles that they sorely wanted to kiss. 

"Elliott?" They asked. "You did not have to move." 

He rubbed his face a bit before he looked at them nervously. "O-Oh sure," he fumbled, "I'm happy to stay, u-unless you want me to leave you alone, then I could make breakfast or something. But you know, whatever works-" 

"Slow down," they tried to say assure him by brushing their hand against his arm but he only shuffled uncomfortably. 

They saw him swallow visibly before he said, "y-yeah, sorry I'll just stop."

He pasted a smile over his face, though Bloodhound noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"I don't want you to stop speaking," they told him, "I like hearing you talk, I only wanted to let you know that I didn't want you to leave." 

"Oh," Elliott mouthed. He moved his elbow to relax back into the bed and shift closer to them again but flinched hard as his elbow slipped. 

He let out a hiss and moved his hand back to rub at the muscle at his shoulder. "Shit," he groaned. 

Bloodhound shuffled onto their knees quickly in the bed to try to get a look at his shoulder. "Did you strain a muscle?" They asked him, worried as they reached out a hand to place it over his. 

"Nah," he said as he waved his hand like it wasn't an issue. He tried to readjust in the bed but was struck with another visible bout of pain. 

"No?" They asked again. 

Elliott gave them a defeated expression and his hand slipped from his shoulder, allowing Bloodhound to examine his shoulder and back. "I don't know how Natalie does it," he whined. "It's the sealing spell for my wings that Renee used. Wings are super heavy, yeah? Imagine carrying that weight around all the time, sort of puts a strain on you." 

"But they're sealed," they frowned. 

"All sealing spells have their weak spots," he said and shifted slowly onto his stomach. "I don't get it but I still feel the strain as if my wings are still there even if I can't feel them. At least if I had them had out then I'd be able to stretch them but…" 

As Bloodhound's hands moved over his back they brushed along the web of muscle and skin where his wings would be. They certainly could tell that his muscles near his upper back and shoulders seemed knotted and tense. Bloodhound thumbed against the tattoo in the middle of his upper back and felt Elliott slightly arch into the contact. 

"Would you like her to undo the spell?" They asked him.

With a muffled whimper he shook his face into the pillow and said, "not really. They'd still be just as heavy and they'd only get in the way."

"Get in the way?" They asked while still rubbing along his back. 

"You know what I mean," he insisted and when Bloodhound didn't answer he continued, "they just screw stuff up. I smacked over that cactus you had and they always made a mess in the kitchen because even if they were folded up behind me they still managed to hit stuff. They're just a nuisance." 

"I don't think they're a nuisance," they said before they could stop themselves. "They were quite beautiful, a sign of strength." 

Elliott laughed and turned his face enough to look back at them when he said, "as if." 

"I would not lie about this _elskan_ ," they told them gently. 

They noticed that the blush on Elliott's face appeared before they gave him a small kiss on the tip of his ear. At the same time, they pressed their thumb against the brand on his back with a little bit of force and felt him buck into the bedding. 

"Does that feel better?" They murmured into his ear and smiled when Elliott let out a small stuttering breath.

"I-It's like I can feel your thumb," he groaned, "like it's properly on my wing when you do that."

Bloodhound swallowed and considered that, they had enjoyed playing with his sensitive tail and now they wondered how he might react if they had to chance to play with those wings. 

They pulled away from his ear and withdrew their wandering hands from Elliott's back, much to his disappointment. 

"Allow me a moment," they told him before giving him a short pat on the back. 

"You better not bring back a puzzle," Bloodhound heard him mutter into the bedding as they headed to the bathroom.

It only took them a minute to find what they were looking for, a bottle that had been tucked away in their cabinet. When they came back into the room Elliott was still on his stomach, face turned towards them to see a glint of what they were holding. 

As they approached the bed, Bloodhound set the bottle on the bedside table closest to Elliott before they straddled his hips. It was hard to do so with his tail but they managed to find a spot to sit just below the base of his tail. 

Elliott's eyes flickered back to them and he asked, "wait, what are you doing?" 

"Sometimes during hunts, I strain myself," they explained as they began to squeeze the massage oil bottle, "I often find this a relaxing method to reduce pain in the places that I can reach." 

"You d-don't have to do all this," he mumbled and turned his face into the pillow, "I didn't mean to make you feel guilty."

They rubbed the oil into their hands to try to warm it a bit before rubbing it onto Elliott, though they frowned when they heard him say that. "I am doing this because I do not want you to suffer," they assured him and began to press their hands into his lower back, "you do not ever deserve to feel such pain." 

Elliott looked like he was prepared to say something but his words quickly melted away when Bloodhound began to massage into his lower back. It wasn't long before the oil began to warm up against Elliott's unnaturally warmer body temperature. 

They knew that the strain would be lesser on his lower back, however, they wanted to start there to let him adjust to the feeling. Also, Bloodhound themselves were nervous that they might harm him. He was hardly a fawning and fragile man but he was certainly allowing Bloodhound to handle him in a vulnerable position. It was a trust that they would not abuse. 

So they started slowly, massaging the oil into his skin and focusing pressure onto the heel of their palm as their hands inched further upwards. 

"Mmm," they heard Elliott hum. "You've got…The best hands ever. Someone should give you a medal."

They huffed and resettled themselves before they asked, "has it been a while since you've been able to relax like this?" 

"I don't tend to stick around long enough for someone to offer a massage," he admitted. 

"Is that so?" 

They frowned and lost a bit of pressure in their next movement when they considered that. It didn't sound right to them, after all, Elliott seemed so wonderful that Bloodhound found it difficult not to praise him. Yet, they couldn't deny that they clung to that thought as they stroked their thumb close to the base of his tail and they felt him shudder beneath them. They selfishly liked the idea that they would be able to hold Elliott in a way that no one else had and that he might enjoy it.

On the next drag of their palms, they pressed higher up his back until they made their way to the small brand. They kept one hand on the mark where he sensitive while their other hand massaged his left shoulder blade. 

They heard Elliott murmur shyly, "you can press a bit harder than that." 

Bloodhound gave a closed-mouth smile and continued the massage with more force. They focused carefully on the areas that they knew would be more strained. Elliott seemed to melt into the bed with action, his muscles slowly became unknotted while they listened to the wonderful breathy sounds occasionally escaped him. 

"How does that feel?" They asked after one particularly noise that they couldn't wait to pluck from him again. 

They could feel Elliott's laugh roll through him when he said, "I think you can tell." 

"Perhaps," they agreed as they added more oil to their hands, "though I did say that I enjoy listening to you speak and ramble." 

"You don't mind?" He asked while he tried to keep the self-consciousness from soaking his tone. They focused on melting that away with their next press of hands. 

"Of course not," they told him. "It is nice, you are so very alive and I hear that when you speak. You have a lovely voice, one that many would rightly envy." 

They saw Elliott's tail flick slightly when he said, "smooth talker." 

"How does this feel?" They asked him. "I do not want to be too rough." 

"Real nice," he mumbled, "can't remember being woken up so perfectly. Sometimes it feels like you're almost touching my wings, and uh, you're hands are strong, like you're holding back but you don't need to do that. It's still sweet though." 

Unable to help it, they bent down to lay a small kiss on the mark only to feel Elliott whine into the pillow. "Are your wings like your tail?" They asked him.

"Sort of," he mentioned. "Less sensitive than my tail but still a different kind of nice than just touching my skin would be." 

"And where would you like to be touched?" They asked as they massaged those spots where they knew were most tender. 

He gave a half-grin in their direction, "anywhere you're willing." 

"That was not my question," they pressed. "Allow me to treat you like you deserve and I will." 

"And just how would that treatment go?" 

"That would be entirely up to you," they told him coyly. 

Elliott seemed to consider that for a moment while Bloodhound continued to massage him. They wanted to see his face like this, when he was relaxed and pliant. They wondered what expression he would have if they cupped his cheek and pressed a tender kiss against his forehead. If he would say something teasingly or simply relax into their palm. 

Elliott had been silent for long enough that they wondered if he had completely forgotten about the question. That was until they heard him say, "well uh, you do have really nice hands. Be a shame to let those go to waste." 

They smiled and leaned down to give him a kiss on the back of his neck, a reward. "You want my hands on you?" They asked him.

"Um," he laughed awkwardly, "I was actually thinking of having them in me."

Their hands paused for a moment on Elliott's back and their mouth felt inexplicably dry. They felt him wriggle beneath them, clearly discomforted by the silence. He opened his mouth to make a noise, no doubt to take back what he had said when Bloodhound laid another kiss on his neck. 

"Of course _elskan_ ," they murmured as they laid another kiss closer to his ear. "Roll onto your back for me."

He did easily as opposed to when he had first woken up. "We don't have to do this unless you really feel like it-" he began. 

"Elliott, I will never you offer to touch you if it makes me uncomfortable," they assured him.

He shrugged a little and said, "I just want to make sure that you're enjoying yourself too." 

"Trust me," they said lowly as they pulled back and settled themselves between his legs. They thought of how he might look with their fingers spreading him open. They would do so slowly, only so that they might savour his whines. Those images buried into their mind as they said, "I will surely enjoy this." 

They squeezed more oil onto their hands as they spread his legs, one hand gripping his thigh in place. They left kisses along his thigh and with their thumb they pressed gently against his ass, spreading him for them. 

"That oil is fine to use right?" Elliott piped up nervously. 

"It is only coconut oil," they assured him, "you need not worry." 

Elliott relaxed a bit into the sheets but still remained propped up on his elbows to watch them. As they laid kisses along his thighs, they thought of the marks that still remained on their own thighs from the previous night. They heard Elliott release a small sigh as they left another mark closer along his inner thigh. 

While Bloodhound's tongue lapped over one of the faint bites that they had left on him, they slowly pushed an oiled finger against his hole. They bit back a sigh when they saw Elliott's hips buck towards their finger, trying to take more. 

"So sweet," they praised them as they dragged their finger back and forth inside of him. 

They didn't stop laying kisses and marks along his thighs as they continued to finger him. He was adoringly warm inside as well and tight around their finger. Even as he asked and asked for another finger, for more, they shushed him by laying another mark on his thigh. 

Bloodhound curled their finger a few times as they prepared him for more until they heard a cracked gasp from his mouth. "There?" They asked as they curled that finger again and again inside him. 

"Y-Y-Yes there," he stuttered while Bloodhound continued to curl their finger against him. "More, I-I need another finger."

His leg jolted in their grasp when they pressed especially hard against his prostate and Bloodhound had to hold his leg tight to stop him from kicking out. Still, they obeyed and began to slip a second finger into him alongside the first. 

Elliott was tight but he quickly melted onto their fingers as they scissored him open, all while paying attention to his prostate. "So beautiful," they praised, "taking my fingers so well." 

He let out a strangled moan that he cut off when he shoved his palm into his mouth to gag himself. Their fingers stopped moving only to rest inside him and Elliott whined into his palm when he felt them stop. 

"I want to hear every noise you make _elskan_ ," they told him. "Or I will not continue." 

Elliott hesitated for a moment but fully withdrew his hand when their fingers curled against prostate once more. They leaned away from his thigh and admired the pattern of marks that they had left while they wrapped their other hand around his cock and began to stroke him in time with the thrusts of their fingers. 

He was rocking desperately onto their fingers and Bloodhound watched while they fingered him, determined to memorise the way his eyebrows knitted together and his mouth opened into a small 'o' shape. They noticed how his tail twitched when they ground their fingers especially rough against his prostate. They were almost regretful that their hands that wanted to grab at his tail so badly were occupied. 

"So - S-So good, fuck your fingers," he rambled. "Love the way they feel - fuck! Fuck I'd keep your fingers in me all day if I could." 

"All day?" They humoured as they began to stroke him more quickly. "Is that what you want? Sitting here in my lap here while you keep my fingers nice and warm? To keep you pliant and full, only moving my fingers when I want so I can see those pretty golden freckles of yours?"

Elliott had completely abandoned resting himself on his elbows and instead one hand was pawing at the bedding while the other was gripping his hair. It hadn't escaped their notice either that those freckles of his had started to become brighter along with his eyes. 

"Y-Y-Yes, fuck please, whatever you want as long as you don't stop," he begged.

"Are you close _elskan_?" They asked while they twisted their hand as they stroked upwards. 

He nodded wildly and gripped onto the bedding hard enough that Bloodhound wondered if it would tear. They lifted their gaze from his adorable hole and looked up to see him biting down on his lip, eyes screwed together.

They stopped moving their hands altogether. 

Elliott immediately made a sobbing sound and tried to rock into their hands but couldn't get the friction he desired.

"P-Please," he begged, "don't stop, I want it so bad!" 

"I asked you a question Elliott," they reminded him and slowly began to move again. 

They saw him blink wildly as he tried to remember. "Yes, yes," he begged, "I'm close, please don't stop I want to cum Hound." 

Bloodhound resumed their pace from earlier and Elliott cried out again, stopping himself from the temptation to bite down or keep quiet. "Good boy," they praised, "you deserve to be treated so well Elliott, whatever you want as long as you ask for it."

"Hound I'm-" 

"Cum for me Elliott," they ordered him, "so beautiful, so perfect, cum on my fingers like the good boy you are-" 

Elliott's hips bucked wildly as he rode out his orgasm into Bloodhound's tight fist. He looked so beautiful, his eyes were knitted together like he couldn't stand any more sensation and even then he kept his eyes on Bloodhound. 

They didn't stop their hands until he began to whimper from overstimulation and they withdrew. Elliott's eyes stayed on them as they leaned over and licked up the cum that had landed on his chest.

"Fuck you're beautiful," he moaned.

"You almost sound as if you're complaining," they teased after wiping their mouth. 

He smiled sluggishly as Bloodhound shuffled up beside him. "You'd be nervous if you could see how beautiful you look," he teased back, "I've got competition now." 

They frowned slightly. "I do have mirrors in this apartment Elliott," they reminded him.

"Oh, right," he blinked, "guess that rules out vampire." 

"I think you would have noticed if I was a vampire by now," they said and thought of Crypto drinking from a flask that smelt undeniably like blood. 

He only shrugged, "I'm not sure about that. Half the time you're looking at me like you want to devour me."

" _Only_ half?" They found themselves teasing him to their surprise. 

He laughed and chucked a pillow at them which threw them off enough that Elliott had time to clamber on top of them. The golden freckles were still alive against his face when he purred, "and how about I repay you now?" 

A needy hand gripped his hip, certainly tempted but they managed to say, "we're filthy. We need to take a shower." 

"We?" He emphasised. 

"If you would like to repay me that is," they offered lightly as they rolled out from underneath him and started heading towards the door. 

Elliott was already scrambling to follow.

-

Breakfast was perfect. 

Elliott burnt the first round of the toast and had to throw it out. Then, he mixed up the measurements for salt and sugar in the pancakes. After that, he didn't realise that the eggs were expired until he was half-way through cooking them. And he knocked over a bottle of milk and burnt his tongue on his morning coffee.

When breakfast was finally ready after several attempts and offers from Bloodhound to help (which Elliott all rejected) they found themselves returning back to have breakfast in bed.

Bloodhound dug into their breakfast quickly, starting with the pancakes. It wasn't until they were on the fifth bite that they realised that Elliott wasn't eating his food, instead, he was looking at them with a dopey smile on his face. 

"What?" They said flatly and took another bite.

"I haven't seen you eat before," he murmured.

They considered that, "I suppose that is true." 

The smile on his face only grew wider. "You've got sharp features," he began, "but you look all smiley when you eat sweet food."

They shrugged in a so-so gesture, "I may have a slight sweet tooth."

"If I had known that then I would've made you so much more desert!" He exclaimed and took a bite of a strawberry.

"That may not be wise," they considered, "it is something that I indulge myself in often enough." 

"Pfft," he waved that answer away with a hand. "I'm all about indulgence. If I can tempt you into sleeping with me then I can tempt you into some ice cream cake." 

A freezing feeling washed over them. 

They almost dropped the cutlery that they were holding. "Tempt?" They asked quietly. "Did you only-" 

"No!" He immediately interrupted. "I wouldn't sleep with you just 'cause I wanted to prove my irru-irrib-irresit-uh…Irresistibility. Well, I might. But I didn't have sex with you just because I wanted a meal ticket."

"Then what did you want?" They asked tersely. "Sex? Fun? A relationship?" 

"Maybe, I-" he paused for a long moment and took a breath before he began again. "I don't think our standards of a 'relationship' are the same. I don't really get to know people before or after I sleep with them. But I think that…I'd like to try whatever you would do in a relationship normally." 

That was…Surprisingly sweet. Although at this point, Bloodhound shouldn't have been surprised considering that Elliott often accidentally seemed to fall into a set of clichés. 

"You want to have a relationship?" They asked. "With me?" 

Elliott laughed awkwardly and combed his hands through his wet hair. "It was _you_ I woke up spooning last night right?" He smiled but there was nervousness painted all over his expression. "That sort of sounds dumb. So might everything that I'm saying right now. I'm happy to stick with just having sex. Unless you've got some secret incubus fetish you're harbouring because I've been down that road before a few times and it never ends-" 

Bloodhound took their plate and Elliott's and set it down onto the bedside table. "I am not sure why you think that I have a standard of a typical relationship," they humoured aloud in an attempt to lighten the mood and to calm Elliott. "I did not realise that completely covering oneself often and living as a shut-in hunter with only a bird would mark me as a Casanova in your eyes." 

To their joy, Elliott let out a bumbling laugh. "C'mon you must have had some kind of regular romance at one point," he poked. "You're telling me that you've never gone to the movies and made out with someone in the back row? Never gotten matching couples necklaces?" 

They couldn't help but roll their eyes in response before they shuffled closer to Elliott. "I am not sure about going to a movie theatre," they hummed, "though I have enjoyed our movie nights together. I enjoy seeing you make breakfast. I like how warm you are." 

"Warm?" He asked. "Like temperature-wise or personality-wise?" 

"I enjoy both," they answered simply. 

He only laughed at that, "just wait until summer, then you'll be trying to kick me out of the bed when you wake up sweaty." 

A wide smile began to creep its way onto their face, "I don't think I could imagine kicking you out of my bed."

"Like I said, wait 'til summer." 

"Would I?" They asked. "After spring is over. I would not ask you to stay here but…Would you still want to see me?" 

He readjusted himself until his legs were beneath him and he was leaning on their shoulder. "Unlike protection spells," he promised, "relationships don't stop at the end of every season, from what I've heard." 

They smiled warmly and decided to take the chance to press a kiss against his forehead. "That is good to hear," they said, "I'm not sure that Artur will be as enthusiastic, however." 

"Ugh," he groaned, "that's because your bird hates everyone but you." 

"He can be a touch…Possessive," they eventually settled on. 

Elliott wrapped an arm over their waist and tugged them a bit closer. "Too bad for him," he pouted. "There's no way that's he's going to win in any competitions for affection from you. After all, a bird can't braid your fluffy hair." 

Their raised their hand to their head and combed a hand through where it was beginning to dry. "My hair is _not_ fluffy," they emphasised. 

"Is that why you had it braided?" He gasped in excitement. "Because you don't like having fluffy hair? But it's so pretty, you have to let me touch it." 

"Absolutely not," they said indignantly. 

Elliott turned his face away from their shoulder and looked up, "why not? I let you indulge in your hair kink."

Bloodhound spluttered and almost pushed him off the couch, "I do not have an obsession with your hair." 

"I remember it differently," he said smugly. "You were pulling and playing with my hair. Hell, I've had times when I've been tied up that felt cleaner than how you played with my hair." 

Now that conjured an image that Bloodhound wasn't going to forget any time soon. 

They looked down at him unimpressed, "if you are going to be so smug then you can play with your own hair." 

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," he apologised. "How about I make it up to by letting you pull my hair as much as you-" 

Before he could finish they had already launched a pillow straight into his face that Elliott didn't quite catch. Elliott immediately tried to grab another pillow to throw straight back at them, already yelling about they had betrayed him.

As they had said, it was a perfect morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Some massage oil can double as lube but you should probably check if you can use it before you do it. This PSA was bought to you by 2am research. 
> 
> I hope that social-distancing is treating everyone well! This is going to be a rough time but I hope that everyone finds some solace to keep them busy for the coming months. 
> 
> If you're enjoying this then go ahead and toss a comment at me! Even you just reading this means so much to me!


	7. Chapter Seven

Bloodhound was finding it difficult to keep their hands off of Elliott. They hadn't excepted how much they would indulge in it, and yet, their hands seemed to itch every time they saw him.   
  
They loved eating up the reactions that came from him. The smiles, the giggles, the laughs and especially the relaxed and breathy noise that would sometimes escape his mouth. They knew that Elliott liked to joke about how clingy they were, "am I your personal heater now?" He'd asked earlier.   
  
Bloodhound had simply yawned and answered, "yes."   
  
They had kept their arms over his chest while he had laughed at that, feeling the vibrations coarse through his chest.   
  
After breakfast, Elliott had aptly decided that this was an occasion for cake. Caramel cake, specifically.   
  
Bloodhound had managed to pull themselves away from the bed while they struggled to remember the last time that they had felt so strongly the desire to laze about. They had joined Elliott in kitchen, listening quietly to a story about a holiday party he had once been to.   
  
Bloodhound did their best to listen to the story, their wandering mind not caused by disinterest all. Although, they would never admit that the cause was the frilly black and white apron he was wearing on top of his shirt.   
  
All the while, they watched as he mixed together the ingredients with care, Bloodhound gently reminding him when he would almost forget to add an ingredient or put a timer on.   
  
"-And that's why Renee made me promise never to stay out past midnight with Octavio again," he finished the story. "He's great but we tend to go together like…Uh, what's that thing you put with coke?"   
  
"Mentos?" they provided.   
  
"Yeah, that's it!" They smiled and continued his story. "Did I tell you about the story with him and the mongoose?"   
  
They nodded and rested a hand on their bare chin and said, "you did. But it was quite entertaining, I would not mind hearing it again from you."   
  
Bloodhound noticed a shy smile appear on his face as he added a bit more flour to the mixing bowl. "You really mean that don't you?" He mused.   
  
"Of course I do."   
  
"Not everyone does," he laughed although he couldn't prevent it from sounding bitter. "It’s refreshing, not having to worry that I'm annoying you.'"   
  
Bloodhound only softly smiled, "I like hearing your voice. You shouldn't feel the need to restrain yourself."   
  
His tail wagged behind him and they noticed that he was blushing as he picked up as the whisk again. "Mhm," he agreed, "you've made your pef-precen-preferences pretty clear."   
  
"Would you prefer I not have?" They asked with a small smile.   
  
"Not in a million years," he laughed.   
  
It was then when their phone chimed, at first they ignored it, much more content to watch Elliott lick the bits of sweet batter that landed on his fingers.   
  
It wasn't until a few minutes later that Bloodhound eventually went to pick it up after it had already rung twice. They gave Elliott an apologetic look but he only waved it away, saying that he didn't mind at all.   
  
They were surprised when they saw Bangalore's contact details flashing across the screen. Nonetheless, they answered, resting their phone on their shoulder as they talked.   
  
"Bloodhound?" She called. "You good to talk for a second?"   
  
They looked back at Elliott with a wince but said, "yes it's fine."   
  
"Good because I'm stuck in shit here," she said. "Crypto was meant to be Wattson and I's number three for a mission tomorrow. 'Cept he went on a quick job this morning and broke a leg."   
  
"A leg?" They repeated.   
  
"Don't feel too bad for him," Bangalore said, "he's sipping blood at his apartment recovering for now. But Wattson and I still need a tracker for tomorrow. You in?"   
  
They cringed, "my apologies Bangalore, I do not believe that I can offer my aid."   
  
Bangalore only groaned, "c'mon it'll barely be two days. Some farmer has a pack of something tearing up his cows. First day we'll do some recon, the farmer's offering beds in the house so it'll be a cushy job. Next morning we'll take care of the beasts."   
  
"There is no other tracker?" They asked her.   
  
"I called everyone else," she told them, "either I didn't get a response or they're already on a job."   
  
They glanced by at Elliott. It would only be for one night but they already knew that they would sorely miss him. They thought of how distressed and exhausted he had been when they had been gone for a week. It was a sight they never wanted to see again.   
  
"I'm not sure I can take the time away right now," they said and saw Elliott look over at them.   
  
They heard Bangalore give a muffled swear from her side of the line. "Look," she said, "call me back if you change your mind. Wattson's adamant on heading out, you know how she gets, I'll watch her back and try to yank her back if she gets in too deep."   
  
"Very well," they said, "I wish you a good hunt."   
  
"And I wish you a good whatever-the-fuck you're doing," was the last thing Bangalore said because she hung up the phone.   
  
They huffed in amusement and set down their phone before heading back to the kitchen.   
  
"What was all that about?" Elliott asked.   
  
Instead of sitting back on one of the stools, instead, they stood next to him and watched him as he tasted the batter.   
  
They frowned slightly and replied, "it was another hunter. She asked me to accompany her and Wattson on a job tomorrow."   
  
"Wattson?" He considered. "Are you going to take it?"   
  
"I…" They broke off. "They are not incapable of this hunt, I am concerned yet…I would prefer to stay with you."   
  
Elliott hummed a bit, "if you're worried about them, then maybe you should go? I mean I want to you stay, totally duh. But also if Natalie got eaten by a giant monster then I'd feel a bit bad about it."   
  
"Only a bit?" They teased him.   
  
While Elliott gave a laugh, Bloodhound pivoted behind him and took the opportunity to wrap their arms around his waist. Having their hands on him again was a relief, simply assured by how close and warm he was. It felt like each time they touched him they were making a promise that he would not feel lonely or unwanted again.   
  
Elliott had decided that it wasn't sweet enough and added a bit more sugar to it. "I'm just saying," he said, "don't stick around here if you're going to be worried about them the whole time."   
  
"And if it is you that I worry for?" They asked.   
  
"Me?" He laughed. "I mean c'mon, I haven't wrecked the place. Yet."   
  
Bloodhound tugged themselves closer to him and rested their chin on his shoulder. "The last time I left…" they murmured into his neck.   
  
"That was for a week," he brushed off but they could detect a trace of nervousness in his tone. He added nervously, "This time wouldn't be for a week would it?"   
  
They pressed a kiss against his neck and answered, "no, only for one night."   
  
"Just one night?" He asked and pulled over the baking tray. "Easy-peasy."   
  
"One night can last so long," they said with an almost pouty expression.   
  
Elliott began to pour the mixture into the tray with a faint hum. They took a moment to readjust their grip around his waist, as they did, they gently thumbed at his shirt beneath his apron. They did so until it had shifted enough that Bloodhound was able to rub circles into his exposed skin happily.   
  
Elliott took a step towards the oven but Bloodhound only wrapped tighter around him. He laughed a bit when he realised that they weren't letting go.   
  
"I need to put the cake in the oven," he argued weakly.   
  
"No," they protested and tightened their pull a bit.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"We can just eat it raw," Bloodhound mumbled into his neck.   
  
He gave a sputtering laugh, "that's gross babe."   
  
They pulled away from nuzzling at his shoulder and repeated, "babe?"   
  
"You don't like it?" He pouted. "You called me that one thing. What was it? Elskan. What about sweetheart? Honey? Cuddle-muffin?"   
  
"You will not call me cuddle-muffin," they insisted but it sounded rather weak since they were currently squeezing him tightly.   
  
He set the tray back down and lifted his hand behind him to run through their hair. "You going to let me braid your hair before you leave cuttlefish?"   
  
They wrinkled their nose and repeated flatly, "cuttlefish?"   
  
"Because it sounds like cuddle," he explained. "When I was a kid I used to call 'em cuddlefish instead. If you don't like it I can come up with something else…What do you think about hair-tugger?"   
  
Instead of starting that argument again, they considered something that he had said earlier. "You think I will leave tomorrow?" They asked.   
  
He shrugged as much as he could with Bloodhound holding him. "I don't really know much about hunters but I get that you don't exactly have the safest job," he said slowly. "I don't want to hold you back from that."   
  
They let out a long exhale as Elliott petted their head as best he could from his angle. "Will you be alright if I leave?" They asked him.   
  
"Right as rain," he said. "It's just one night. You worry too much cuttlefish."   
  
They groaned and their arms went slack around him, "that nickname isn't going away soon is it?"   
  
Elliott whistled happily as he tugged away from their arms and set the cake in the oven. "Definitely not," he said in a sing-song voice.   
  
Once he set the timer on the oven, he rolled back into Bloodhound's grasp, much to their delight.   
  
They tugged him close as they whispered into his ear, "I can do more than just cuddle."   
  
"Oh yeah?" He asked and they could feel his tail that was trapped between them begin to wag back and forth.   
  
"Mhm," they agreed in a low murmur.   
  
Slowly, they dragged their hands up his hands, enjoying how he melted back into their grasp. "For example," they whispered into his ear, "I can do this."   
  
And they instantly rushed their hands upwards to tickle Elliott.   
  
He let out a squawk of a shout and tried to move away but Bloodhound kept him pressed against the kitchen counter.   
  
"S-Stop it!" He giggled while trying to kick Bloodhound off him. "I swear - Shit - You are the worst!   
  
They finally let up when Elliott was breathless and almost to the point of tears from laughing.   
  
"Never mind," he laughed, "you're terrible and I'm not going to miss you at all."   
  
Elliott flipped over, back resting against the countertop and then slung his arms around their neck. "I will miss you," they emphasised and used an arm to pull him closer by the waist.   
  
With his arms around their neck and them holding him, Bloodhound almost felt like they were going to dance.   
  
"Who wouldn't miss me?" He teased with a bright laugh. "But I guess that I'll miss you too. My cute little cuttlefish."   
  
Bloodhound immediately rose their hands upwards threateningly.   
  
"Woah, hold on-" Elliott eased them while trying to push away their hands that were slowly inching closer to him. "Let's not be too hasty. You wouldn't want to tickle me again right? Yeah, ok good…Thanks, cuttlefish-"   
  
Bloodhound didn't hesitate before they launched forward to tickle him.   
  
\-   
  
Bloodhound left the next morning.   
  
They woke Elliott up gently before they left, only because he asked them to the night before. It almost hurt them to wake him up when he looked so peaceful but they laid gentle kisses along his cheeks until the beginnings of a smile showed on his face.   
  
He was tired but he still watched Bloodhound as they got dressed. They buckled and tied together the pieces of their hunter's gear while Elliott eagerly watched them.   
  
When they asked him why he watched them so keenly, Elliott only responded that if he knew how to put it on then it would be easier to take it off.   
  
Bloodhound accepted that answer with a roll of their eyes. "Do you remember how to contact me?" They asked him for the second time that morning.   
  
"Of course," he grumbled and stretched out on the bed like a cat. "I do know how to use a laptop."   
  
"In the mines, it was unlikely that I would receive a signal," they considered, "but I will be above ground this time. So do not hesitate to send me a message, even if it is not an emergency."   
  
"Got it," he yawned.   
  
They set their mask in place last, they hesitated before they did, taking one last look at Elliott without the glass lenses between their vision of him.   
  
"It will only be one night," they assured him, although they felt that they needed the assurance as well. "I should return by dusk tomorrow and if the plan does change then I will contact you."   
  
Elliott sat on his knees and stretched his arms, "aw, my dashing knight is going to off to slay a monster."   
  
They huffed, "hardly, it is more likely that this will be more akin to pest control."   
  
"You know pest control is a lot less sexy than a knight," he grumbled. "Now my damsel in distress outfit is going to go to waste."   
  
They cupped his cheek with a gloved hand and replied, "I sincerely doubt that you have that outfit."   
  
Elliott relaxed into their hand and said with a wink, "if you stick around a little longer you might just find out."   
  
It was more tempting than they would like to admit.   
  
"If I am to meet Bangalore and Wattson I must go now," they told him. They wished that they had delayed putting their mask on, they wanted to kiss him one last time before they left.   
  
"You can't even stick around for breakfast?" He pouted, "the sun's not even up yet."   
  
"Unfortunately, I cannot," they murmured and invested their willpower into pulling their hand away from Elliott's cheekbone. "You should get some more rest before the sun comes up."   
  
Elliott frowned and lifted his hands slowly, dragging them up the sides of their gear until he reached their shoulders. It wasn't sensual, not meant to draw them back to bed, it was only Elliott's wish to absorb as much of their image before they would leave.   
  
He pushed off of his knees so that he was a bit taller on the bed and kissed the side of their respirator.   
  
"Come back safe," he murmured.   
  
They would have kissed him back if they could.   
  
Instead, they let him rest his weight on their arms as they relaxed him back into the bed. They tugged at the sheets and tucked him beneath the warmth before they brushed the hair out of his face. Elliott didn't seem to mind being coddled, didn't mind how Bloodhound adjusted his arms and neck so they knew that he wouldn't feel sore when he woke up.   
  
Bloodhound brushed a thumb over his cheek before they promised, "I will be back soon elskan."   
  
They heard Elliott mumble something vaguely along the lines of, "you better," into his pillow. They couldn't help but laugh slightly at that and gave him a soft pat between his horns before they pulled away entirely.   
  
A promise had been made and Bloodhound intended to keep it.   
  
\-   
  
The farmhouse was quite nice.   
  
Bloodhound had slept in almost every manner in their time. They had slept in sleeping bags, hammocks, trees and on one unfortunate occasion, they had been forced to spend the night in a coffin.   
  
So a bed was quite welcome.   
  
A bed with an en suite attached and a free dinner provided by the family who owned the farm was the lap of luxury. The three of them had been entirely grateful for the family's assistance in pursuing the creatures that been hunting their livestock. The first day of recon had been successful as well, they had tracked the lair of the creatures to an area that was a few miles away from the farm before nightfall and had returned to the farmhouse.   
  
Tomorrow, they would deal with the infestation when the sun would rise. Perhaps, Bloodhound wondered, they would be able to return home by midday. The recon today had taken their mind away from thoughts of Elliott, however, now at night in their room they found it difficult to think of anything but him.   
  
They were about to sleep when their phone buzzed.   
  
Elliott. 

They couldn't open the message quick enough, swearing when the screen of their phone didn't react to their thick gloves properly. They used their mouth to quickly pull off one of the gloves and open their messages.   
  
They didn't expect a photo.   
  
Elliott was in their bed with a grin across his face. Although, his smile wasn't what Bloodhound noticed first.   
  
Their eyes were drawn to the white thigh highs that disappeared beneath a frill of white and pink. His tail was lounging comfortably across his lap and they noticed that his hand was gripping his inner thigh.   
  
9:52: _Told you I make a great damsel in distress._   
  
Bloodhound had to bite their hand to hold back the sound they made.   
  
9:53: I see you are keeping busy.   
  
9:55: _I don't even get a compliment?_  
9:55: _Do you know how hard it is to take a decent photo with a laptop?_  
9:57: _You should see how many photos didn't make the cut_   
  
In fact, Bloodhound would love to that see that.   
  
A second later their phone began to hum and Bloodhound answered the call.   
  
"Bloodhound?" Elliott's voice called out lowly.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I'm bored," he heard Elliott groan.   
  
They were tempted to roll their eyes. "This hunt should not take too much longer," they told him. "I should return by midday. How have you been alone?"   
  
"Well, I'm not in too much distress," he considered and then exaggerated a sigh, "but this damsel could still use some rescuing."   
  
"Is that so?"   
  
They heard a frustrated huff from the other end of the line, "you don't sound that impressed. I thought you liked my outfits? Not a fan of lace or something?"   
  
On the contrary, Bloodhound was imagining how that lace would feel against his skin. How light and easy it was, the material would be so easy for them to tug at, to grip and pull.   
  
"Perhaps," they said, "the exposure has made me immune."   
  
"Are you teasing me?" Elliott asked. "I swear it sounds like you are."   
  
They faked a yawning noise and relaxed into the covers of their bed. "I will see you tomorrow Elliott, I wish you a good night."   
  
"Uh-huh, good night to you too," he sang. "Before you get home, I'll make sure to send you all the updates from around here. You won't miss a thing I promise."   
  
They smiled into their pillow slightly, thinking of what Elliott was already planning. "I look forward to it," they said.   
  
"Trust me, you're going to regret saying that pretty quickly," he hummed.   
  
Bloodhound doubted that. However, they certainly should've heeded Elliott's warning.   
  
\-   
  
The first photo came while Bloodhound was sharpening their axe.   
  
They felt a buzz in their pocket early next morning, early enough that they didn't even think that Elliott would be awake at that time.   
  
7:01: _Didn't have anyone to shampoo my hair this morning._  
7:01: _Don't know how I'll get by._  
  
Attached was a photo of Elliott in front of the mirror. Their bathroom was still coated in steam that was clinging to his skin. His hips rested against the side of the sink so that their vision of him stopped just below his navel. He was eyeing the camera, a hand through wet hair.   
  
7:03: I'm sure you managed without me.   
  
7:05: _You're supposed to say:_  
7:05: _What would you do if I was there?_  
  
Bloodhound could imagine exactly what they'd do if they were there. They knew how pretty he looked pinned against the shower wall while Bloodhound worked him up.  
  
They forced themselves to stop grinding their teeth and turned their mind back their phone.   
  
7:08: If I was there I would scold you for using my body wash.   
7:09: What are you planning on doing today?   
  
Bloodhound's first message was a lie, they loved when Elliott smelled like them.   
  
7:11: _I can get up to a lot without you ;)_   
7:12: _Talk to you later cuttlefish <3 _  
  
They huffed a laugh and opened up the photo of Elliott once more, capturing the image in their head before they put away their phone.   
  
It was not only until a few hours later when they felt their phone buzz in their pocket again.   
  
"I didn't think we'd find burrowing tracks," Wattson observed and poked a shoe at the ground.   
  
"Well I didn't think we'd come across cow-eating moles but here we are," Bangalore said with disdain. She squinted and took a step closer to the opening of the den, "how far do you think those go?"   
  
When Bloodhound felt their phone buzz they didn't immediately reach for it. They were on a hunt, they needed to remain professional.   
  
"I am unsure," Bloodhound told her. "I have not seen these creatures before. Though I find it difficult to believe that a creature of their size would be capable of creating an elaborate tunnel system."   
  
They felt another buzz in their pocket.   
  
Wattson smacked her hands together, "Bangalore if you could smoke them out then I could set up my fences to shock them when they come out!"   
  
"I don't think I've got enough power myself to smoke out each of these dens," she considered.   
  
"I will locate the dens where the creatures lay," Bloodhound spoke over the insistent buzzing in their pocket. "This way we will not waste time looking into these old dens."   
  
Wattson picked up a stick that was laying around and tapped the top of the den. "I always thought moles were quite cute," she murmured.   
  
"And now that you've met cow-eating moles?" Bangalore asked.   
  
"Oh," she said a bit muted before she picked up again, "well they can be both cute and vicious. Perhaps, I could have one as a little mascot like Bloodhound has!"   
  
They frowned behind their mask, "I do not have a pet mole."   
  
She snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "but you have a bird don't you?"   
  
Bloodhound was about to respond but was cut off again when they felt their phone buzz again.   
  
"Just answer the fucking text already," Bangalore told them and waved them away. "Wattson and I will prepare our equipment."   
  
Their embarrassment was short-lived and was quickly overruled by curiosity. They began striding away from where the other two hunters were standing and opened their phone.   
  
The black leather stuck out to them first. It would have been hard to miss after all since it was crisscrossed over his thighs and chest. They soaked in every detail, the neat silver buckles around his thighs that gave way to soft brown thighs. Around his neck was a thick strap of leather with a silver bell hanging from it sweetly.   
  
10:23: _This little number came with horns_  
10:24: _but I didn't really need them_  
10:25: _The lady I bought it from even tossed in some rope for free._  
10:27: _Hunters are good with tying knots right?_  
  
They could barely read the words on the screen. Their eyes were locked onto the leather harness around his chest, his eyes were bright and excitable against the screen. The only thing they loathed was the pair of black cotton underwear that they could tell didn't belong to the original outfit. One of his hands was down his pants, palming his cock while the other was twirling his tail.   
  
10:29: An incubus costume?   
10:30: Isn't that rather unimaginative?   
  
10:30: Idk my imagination is coming up with a lot of ideas right now  
10:31: _It did come with the cutest tail plug too but I lost it ;(_   
10:33: _But I already got a tail I guess_   
10:33: _No need to double up on perfection_

That was certainly an image that they would no doubt bring up later. For now, they glanced over to see Bangalore beckoning them.   
  
10:34: I have to go hunt carnivorous moles now.   
10:35: Though I will admit, you wear the material well.   
  
10:36: _I knew you'd start to come around_  
10:37: _Wait what about moles?_  
  
They shoved their phone back in their pocket and strode back towards the other two even though the only thing on their mind was Elliott.   
  
"I will scan these dens for the creatures," Bloodhound called to them, "follow me."   
  
"Someone's eager to get this over with," Bangalore said with a huff.   
  
She had no idea.   
  
The hunt was over rather quickly. The number of mole creatures turned out to be lower than they expected although Bloodhound wouldn't complain. It simply meant a quick and easy hunt. Although, they almost regretted coming on this hunt since they had assumed that it would be more difficult. Now they knew that Wattson and Bangalore would have been able to handle this easily.   
  
During their report with the farmers, Bloodhound's hands itched for their phone.   
  
They let Bangalore discuss most of the details, even bringing back a carcass of one of the creatures for proof of the deed. Wattson accepted a basket of sweet cookies as well from the owner of the farm and while they talked Bloodhound's hand rested on their pocket for a notification.   
  
When they reached the train station they were happy to part ways. Wattson was meeting with a friend and Bangalore was already on her way to another hunt. It wasn't long after that until Bloodhound found an empty carriage on a train to Solace.   
  
They were already staring at their blank phone when Elliott sent a message this time and they almost fumbled their phone when it lit up.   
  
Elliott had a different outfit on this time but it was one that Bloodhound recognised.   
  
The leather one-piece suited him perfectly, tightly fitting and highlighted that slight dip in Elliott's waist that Bloodhound loved to grip. It cut off at his chest, letting Bloodhound's eyes track up the unmarked space on his chest. They noticed that his neck was still decorated with the same leather and silver-belled collar from earlier in the day.   
  
Against the black leather and dark-lit scenery of the room was a bright white colour that stuck out. A bunny-ears headband, set gently on his head and resting against his horns. Bloodhound was willing to bet that if he turned around, they would spot a white plush tail on the one-piece as well.   
  
But he wasn't turned around.   
  
The suit was tight but they could see that Elliott had managed to pull his cock out to one side, his hand still fisted it tightly and Bloodhound could see where his cum had landed on the leather leotard and his thighs. The smile that was present in the other photos from earlier was gone, instead, he was sucking on two fingers on his free hand while starring into the character with a glazed-over expression.   
  
2:29: _Would you prefer to hunt a bunny instead?_  
  
Fuck.   
  
They suddenly felt very trapped on this train. And they were still half an hour away from their apartment, a short trip normally, but now it felt as if it couldn't be longer.   
  
Bloodhound stared at the photo until they heard another buzz.   
  
2:31: _Had to start without you_  
2:31: _Thought you'd be home by now_   
  
That shook them out of their thoughts and they quickly tapped the facetime symbol on their phone.   
  
Elliott appeared only a moment later, he was laying on his stomach and his face was resting on his folded arms as he looked into the camera.   
  
"Hey Houndie," he asked in a hoarse voice, "how's the hunt going?"   
  
They stared at his face speechless, trying to muster a semblance of an answer.   
  
Elliott laughed a bit, "how far away are you?"   
  
"Less than half an hour," they found it in themselves to reply.   
  
He groaned and stretched out on the bed like a cat which led Bloodhound's suspicions about a possible tail to be confirmed. "That's so long," he protested. "Can't get here any quicker?"   
  
"I may be tempted to crawl out of this train window and try to run there myself," they admitted as they greedily soaked up the image of Elliott.   
  
"Tempted?" Elliott repeated with a light tone.   
  
"Fine," they admitted, "you win. You're very desirable and you're a master of seduction, are you quite happy with yourself now?"   
  
A lazy vindictive smile crawled onto his face. "I can think of something that would make me happier," he hummed, "but I think we'll be getting around to that in about thirty minutes."   
  
Their hand was gripping their thigh hard enough that it would have hurt if not for the thick material they were wearing.   
  
"Very well."   
  
"Very well?" Elliott repeated. "Lost all your fight huh?"   
  
They swallowed down a dozen other words and simply said, "I think you will find that to be contrary when I arrive."   
  
Bloodhound thought they saw his eyes flash gold for a moment before Elliott said, "I'm looking forward to it."   
  
A second later he disconnected the call.   
  
They couldn't be sure of what Elliott was doing in their bed. All they knew was that this was going to be an incredibly trying half an hour.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact this entire chapter is just this meme: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/u-QXTU6UJJ7b1WVEWlcJk9eEzvTzuvKWT_ZjA2r48qtZsht-Y0N35cqTRbFds6iXfdC53J6GJ1SlR6ErBKYCDEnxtcAsCwyj3cu80qymxZO4ko_Nz9k
> 
> Where is this motivation coming from??? I've literally never written this quickly?? I guess being stuck at home gets your gears going. 
> 
> We still have more than two weeks until season 5 but I'm so excited. 
> 
> Hope y'all have a good day!


	8. Chapter Eight

Bloodhound wasn't sure if Elliott was cruel or kind when he continued to send photos.   
  
On one hand, it was a kindness because they were fairly certain that they would have lost it if they had spent the rest of the train ride torturing themselves with thoughts of what he was doing.   
  
And on the other hand, it was so very cruel. Being able to see Elliott but unable to touch him. Wishing that they could replace the fingers in his mouth with their own. Wanting to see how Elliott would react if they went down on him, he'd been so skilled at it and Bloodhound hadn't had the chance to return the favour yet.   
  
The last picture was outright torture. Elliott laid back while two fingers worked himself open. The one-piece was still on him, at the bottom they could see where he had unbuttoned the snap fasteners so he would touch himself properly. Elliott had sent a text along with that photo too.   
  
2:50: Fingers aren't as nice as yours   
2:52: Can't get a good angle   
  
By the time they got off the train, they were desperate to see their Elliott. What dignity they had left kept them from bolting outright home, although there was certainly a sense of hastiness in their steps.   
  
The elevator was out of use in the apartment building because of course, it would be. Bloodhound didn't let that phase them and they finally began to let their pace turn into a run as they bounded up the stairwell to their apartment. It was easy enough to get their key out when they finally reached their loft and they quickly kicked off their boots at the entrance.   
  
They could already hear Elliott in their bed, little whimpers and heavier groans coming from him as they made their way through the apartment. They'd waited long enough, they wanted him now. They weren't disappointed at all when they saw the sight on their bed.   
  
Elliott's eyes lazily looked over to Bloodhound and a sweet smile matched it. One of his hands was gripping onto the pillow while the other was slowly stroking his cock.   
  
"Finally," he exhaled when he saw them and pulled his hand off of his cock. "Thought you'd be gone forever."   
  
Bloodhound couldn't stay still, they were shrugging off their heavy gear piece by piece. Elliott giggled a bit in excitement by the bed. "I take it you got the other photos too," he evaluated in a too cheerful voice.   
  
When he reached back to touch himself again, their glove moved quicker and palmed at his warm thigh. A silent warning for him not to reach any further which Elliott huffed at but still obeyed and dropped his hand to his side.   
  
"Your gloves are dirty," he said softly while they took their mask off.   
  
Finally, they spoke, "the grit should stop at my gear."   
  
They withdrew their hand from his thigh, mourning the loss but still eager to take off their gloves so that they could properly feel him.   
  
"I wouldn't mind if you were dirty underneath," he said lightly. "You're not going to make me wait any longer right?"   
  
"Like I had to wait?" They asked once they had finally shed the last of their gear and climbed on the bed. Once there, they sat between his thighs.   
  
"I was just making your hunt a bit more interesting," he grumbled. "Thought you'd want something to look forward too."   
  
This had certainly done the trick, Bloodhound had to admit that. Elliott looked perfect like this and they wouldn't wait any longer to touch him. But Bloodhound didn't only want to touch, they wanted to leave a mark, they wanted Elliott to know exactly how much they wanted him, wanted to claim him as theirs.   
  
Their hand reached out to spread him a bit wider and pet at his hole that he had begun to prepare for them.   
  
"I see you enjoyed yourself as well in the meanwhile," they judged.   
  
He began to say, "thought you'd like it if I got all ready for you-" but broke off into a mewl when Bloodhound slipped a finger inside him.   
  
"I don't like being deprived of what I enjoy," they told him, their tone just beginning to edge into a growl as they spoke.   
  
Elliott began to relax into the bedding but whined when he felt their finger withdraw. When he tried to rise onto his elbows, Bloodhound already had their hands on his hips and was moving to roll him onto his stomach. Elliott frowned but obeyed and followed into the movement.   
  
"I might have normally praised you for following orders," they considered and helped lift him onto his hands and knees. "But you have been misbehaving so much today haven't you?"   
  
"You don't seem to mind the outfit," he mumbled.   
  
Bloodhound pinched his thigh for that and Elliott tried to move away forward but they gripped that fluffy bun tail to stop him. They only stopped pinching him when Elliott finally kept still and soon they began to rub circles over the spot with their thumb instead.   
  
"The outfit is not an issue," they said. "I must admit that you were right, you would be a much more enjoyable hunt."   
  
They didn't have to see Elliott's face to know that he was smiling. Eager to wipe that smile off his face, they slipped their fingers back inside him, two this time so he could feel a stretch.   
  
"Knew it-" he murmured to himself but was cut off when Bloodhound released their hand from the bun tail of the one-piece to the base of his real tail.   
  
"But make no mistake," they growled and moved their fingers to target that spot which they would make him melt. "I do not enjoy it when my prey misbehaves."   
  
Elliott broke off into little moans that Bloodhound loved to hear. On a particularly rough jolt of their fingers, he gave up on his hands and fell onto his elbows instead. His face was buried into the pillow that swallowed up the sweets sounds he was making and Bloodhound decided that they needed to hear him.   
  
Their hand abandoned his tail and spread down the lovely arch of his back until they could reach the collar on his neck. They fit two fingers under the collar and used it to lift his head out of the pillow, thrusting their fingers into him harder until he couldn't help but moan with every sweet press against his prostate.   
  
While he was blissfully tight, Bloodhound knew that they would need more lubricant to do anything else.   
  
They slowly withdrew their fingers from him, allowing Elliott one more chance to rock back onto their fingers before they fully pulled away.   
  
"Stay," was all they said before they clambered off the bed.   
  
The oil was on the dresser which made it easy enough to get and coat their hands again. They couldn't bring it to the bed, it would likely simply spillover. They pulled themselves away from indulgent thoughts, preparing themselves for the afternoon in bed when they heard movement on the bed.   
  
When they turned around Elliott had shifted onto his knees, still facing away from them but certainly preparing to turn around.   
  
Elliott was about to say something when Bloodhound reached him first. They plastered themselves over his back and when he tried to push back up with his hands they grabbed his forearms. The force meant that he had to rest his weight back onto his elbows and when they ground their hips against him dropped entirely, resting his hips back onto the bed and they leaned down with the movement.   
  
One hand reached onto his collar to pull his face to look back at them. Elliott's cheeks were red against gold freckles, they hadn't ever thought of his eyes as doe-like but it seemed an appropriate comparison.   
  
"Hound I-"   
  
"I said stay," they snarled. "Are you going to listen?"   
  
He was blushing wildly and when he tried to turn away from their piercing gaze they tugged at the collar again, keeping him in place.   
  
"Fine," he grumbled. "Just hurry up and touch me."   
  
Their mouth twisted, unimpressed. "You are not very well behaved are you?" They considered.   
  
The hand on his neck didn't deter him from smirking, "tend to be a bit rebellious if you hadn't picked up on that yet."   
  
"A rebel?" They repeated. "I don't think so."   
  
Bloodhound pulled away from him and lifted his knees up again, letting his back arch beautifully. "What you are Elliott is a brat," they told him. "One who needs to be made aware of his place."   
  
Elliott let out a little gasp when they ground into him and he noticed a thicker and heavier feeling against his thigh.   
  
"Is that?" He asked and tried to look back but they returned to gripping his collar and kept him in his place.   
  
"Yes," they answered simply and slipped their fingers back into him.   
  
"Fuck."   
  
A wave of self-consciousness made them pause for a moment, "if you do not want to-"   
  
"Hound that was a 'yes' fuck as in 'fuck yeah.'" He huffed.   
  
They smiled at that and their fingers resumed their pace inside him, aided by the help of the oil.   
  
Elliott's tail twitched against his side and they heard him protest, "C'mon I don't need any more prep, I'm ready."   
  
"It doesn't matter if you think you're ready or not," they told him. "What matters is if I think you deserve it Elliot and you have not been very well behaved today have you?"   
  
"Just fuck me already-"   
  
"That wasn't the answer I was looking for Elliott," they said and the pace of their fingers slowed down almost entirely.   
  
They released the grip on his collar and let him relax and catch his breath for a moment. Instead, they leaned over him, beginning to suck marks into where they could reach on his neck.   
  
"P-Please," he begged when he felt Bloodhound grind against him again. "I'll be good please just fuck me, please, please, Bloodhound-"   
  
When they finished placing a mark close to his ear they stayed close to whisper to him, "will you Elliott?"   
  
"Yes, yes, yes," he begged. "I'll be so good - Promise you - I'm yours to fuck, I'm your prey just please, please, please let me be good for you."   
  
As sweet as his begging was, Bloodhound couldn't stand to hear it anymore. They pulled back and gripped the base of his tail, soaking in Elliott's moan as they lined up and began to push into him. They weren't slow, couldn't stand to coax him into it gently. They needed to fuck and claim him now.   
  
Bloodhound used his tail as leverage as they fucked him, pulling him onto them while Elliott's tail twitched and he let out little sobs. He fumbled his words while he praised them and let out choked "thank you's" between each thrust. It was so easy to lose themselves in him, he was so perfect, so beautiful.   
  
They wanted to tell him that. Wanted to praise him and shower him with blessings so that he would know. But they couldn't focus on speaking, not when Elliott's voice filled the room so beautifully.   
  
He kept his head out of the pillows, letting the loud sounds reverberate through the room. Even though the pace Bloodhound set was harsh, he managed to turn his head enough so that Bloodhound could see his gold-turned eyes and freckles.   
  
"Hound I need-" he yelped when they ground against his prostate.   
  
"Elliott?" They asked but didn't slow their pace. "What does my good boy want?"   
  
He opened his mouth again but only let out a drawn-out whimper as Bloodhound continued to press against his prostate.   
  
"Elliott?" They asked again and finally stopped moving and released his tail.   
  
His tail flicked back like it wanted to be held again and Elliott groaned. "Like that, like that," he repeated but Bloodhound didn't know what he meant.   
  
"Like what?"   
  
"D-Don’t stop please," he begged, "just talk to me like that."   
  
They resumed moving, albeit it a slower pace than before.   
  
"Talk to you like what?" They murmured the question. Although, they already had an inkling that they knew what he meant.   
  
Elliott turned away from them and said quietly, "w-when you call me…You know what I mean…"   
  
"You only have to ask _elskan_ ," they told him. "You are deserving of so much, let me reward you."   
  
They reached again, one hand on his upper thigh and the other on his tail. They were moving slower now, knowing that Elliott was showing signs of getting close but they wanted to savour this.   
  
Elliott reached to touch himself but they took the hand on his thigh and batted away his hand which dropped back to the sheets. "P-Please just let me-" he begged.   
  
"You only need ask," they reminded him.   
  
He let out a frustrated sobbing noise. They knew that behind that bluster of his that he was shyer than they had anticipated. Bloodhound wanted to let him learn and show him that he could speak without fear around them. He had said before that he was used to placing others needs above his, Bloodhound wouldn't allow that.   
  
"I w-want," he finally admitted, "want you to talk to me. Like when you cop-complen-complimelt- ah fuck. When you tell me I'm good, that I'm worth it."   
  
"Thank you for telling me Elliott," they said and began to turn to a faster pace. They needed to him know how wonderful he was so they continued, "I know you're not used to it but I am so proud of you for telling me. Such a good boy and you're taking it so well."   
  
Elliott mewled and rocked back onto them hard, his hand was clutching the sheets which only furthered the beautiful curve of his back. "Yes - Yes - I'm close-" He stuttered out but kept his hand obediently away from his cock.   
  
"You're so perfect, so good for me," they continued, "I'd love to see your wings one day if you'd let me. So I could spread them out and see how sensitive they are myself. You mentioned once that you didn't let many people touch them, is that true _ástin_ mín?"   
  
His head was still turned away from them but they could see him nodding through the gasps of pleasure that he let out.   
  
They couldn't help but tell him, "I imagine that it would be hard to reach around your wings yourself. Would you let me explore those spots where no one has before? We could find out together how sensitive you are there, you would only have to ask me, there is little that I would not do for you."   
  
"Y-Yes I want that - just you, only you -" he begged and turned back to look at them. "I'm so c-close please let me, please let me-"   
  
"Of course, touch yourself Elli, you can cum whenever you want to," they assured him. "You're such a good boy for me aren't you? Are you going to come for me?"   
  
"Hound - Y-Yes, I-" he cut off as his whole body twitched and he let out a deep moan. He couldn't stay up, not even on his elbows or knees and collapsed into the bedding.   
  
Bloodhound didn't stop, they kept fucking into him while they stroked that beautiful tail of his. He looked so perfect like this, fucked out and moaning praise for them. They didn't start to slow down until Elliott's leg kicked back and his hand reached back to grab at one of their wrists.   
  
They stopped and let him catch his breath for a moment, he didn't say anything but he pried their fingers away from his tail and let it collapse against the sheets. "Too much," he gasped, "too sensitive…my tail and everything is too much."   
  
They made an affirmative noise and slowly pulled out Elliott, letting him fully collapse into the bed, letting out little puffs while his golden eyes peaked behind to look at Bloodhound.   
  
His eyes were as bright as they'd ever seen them and they didn't miss how the gold contrasted to purple marks they'd made on his neck. They sat back and got more comfortable for a moment before they reached down to touch themselves. They needed it so badly and they weren't slow when they touched themselves, letting out little gasps and moans.   
  
For a moment they closed their eyes, the sensation too much to handle and that was when they felt gravity shift. When they opened their arms they were on their back and Elliott's hands were pinning their hips down. They were about to open their mouth when they felt his warm mouth close on them and they out a strangled moan instead.   
  
They reached forward and held onto one of his horns, needing the assurance that he was close to them.   
  
"I wasn't sure if you had the energy," they admitted. "G-Gods your mouth is divine."   
  
If they could keep him between their thighs all day, they'd be tempted to. They weren't going to last long, not like this, not when they could feel Elliott moan on them with every piece of praise that they gave him.   
  
The tension they felt snapped when his gold eyes flicked up and met their own. The sensation was enough that they were desperate to shut their eyes but they needed to look at him so badly. They praised him as they felt the aftershocks of their orgasm begin to recede.   
  
When Bloodhound couldn't find the energy to speak anymore they combed their hand lazily through Elliott's hair while he rested his cheek on their stomach. He looked so sated and sweet, they were tired, but they could have spent an entire day soaking in the details of his face.   
  
"Up," they mumbled and pet their hand on the bed next to them. "So I can hold you."   
  
Elliott made a noise from the back of his throat and moved, however, he only managed to move his head an inch up from their stomach. "Can't move," he groaned and stretched his arms out instead.   
  
"You're not too sore are you?" Bloodhound asked him. They knew that they had been rough but they would never want to incur any extreme pain on him.   
  
"Ha, you did a number one me but it feels amazing," he said and spoke into their stomach so that his words came out almost incoherently. "Feels like I've melted into a puddle. Ten out of ten. I'd write a page long yelp review about it if I could."   
  
They laughed and reached their arms outwards. They pulled him up from underneath his arms so that he could rest his head on their shoulder and lie on top of them. 

"Better?" They asked while Elliott settled.   
  
He hummed in agreement and nuzzled into their shoulder. They closed their eyes, tired from the hunt and sex, they might have slept right then and there but a second later they began to feel a mouth on their neck.   
  
They let Elliott lay slow open-mouthed kisses along their neck, only opening their mouth when they felt his teeth starting to leave soft bites as well.   
  
"Elliott?" Bloodhound asked.   
  
"You gave me plenty," he protested and continued to suck soft marks on their neck.   
  
Bloodhound couldn’t argue against that. They rested one hand on his hip while the other rested in his hair and they tilted their neck back to give Elliott more room. Elliott let out little murmurs while he left the marks, his tail slowly whipping back and forth behind him.   
  
"Can you feel that?" Bloodhound considered aloud what they had been wondering for days now. "How you make me feel, do you feel that yourself?"   
  
The question made Elliott pull away from their neck and rest his chin on their chest instead. "Sort of," he replied, "it's not like I feel what you physically feel. It's sort of like an echo or a wave I feel through me that feels electric. It gives me energy, normally."   
  
The last word was muttered like Bloodhound wasn't supposed to hear it.

They knew that perhaps they should have left it well alone but they repeated, "normally?"   
  
Elliott didn't respond immediately, he leaned a bit forward to kiss them. Slowly and gently, Bloodhound fell into it. It was sweet, not at all like the sex had been, they felt like they were falling into something they'd never had before.   
  
When Elliott broke the kiss he let Bloodhound roll him over and huffed when he realised what position he was in.   
  
"Little spoon, really?" He asked but didn't try to move.   
  
"You fit the position well," they noted, "considering how tiny you are."   
  
He sputtered and gave a light pinch on their arm that swaddled his waist. "I'm an inch or two smaller than you," he protested, "that is not tiny."   
  
"I'm sorry I can't hear you from down there."   
  
"You smug-" he began to say but stopped when Bloodhound laid a few kisses on his shining freckles.   
  
Elliott shrugged back in his spot so that Bloodhound could keep him in a tight but comfortable grip. His eyes were half-shut and as they began to map the freckles on his face they thought of the indent of warmth that he would leave when he would eventually pull away.   
  
Still, as tempting as those thoughts were, they still needed him to answer their question.   
  
"What did you mean earlier when you explained how you normally felt?" Bloodhound asked. "Do you not feel that energy anymore?"   
  
He shook his head. "I still feel it but…" He trailed off. "It feels different."   
  
"How?"   
  
"I'm not sure," he considered. "It used to feel like, alright I've had sex so now I've got more energy to use up now. Now it's like…It's energy but it's different. Warm. It's more than content with you…I think I feel…I don't know."   
  
Elliott knew the word. Bloodhound did too.   
  
_Loved._  
  
Yet neither of them could bring themselves to say it.   
  
So Bloodhound filled the silence with something else, a truth that should have been just as difficult but right now it felt easier to admit. 

"I'm not human," they told him and bathed in the silence that deepened after they spoke.   
  
His head tipped back towards them and his eyes were wide. "If you don't want to-" he said but Bloodhound cut him off.   
  
"My family are descendants of a god," Bloodhound told him suddenly and they didn't know how they managed to admit that so easily. "The Allfather. Magic runs thicker in our blood than most but with that there are consequences."   
  
"Consequences?"   
  
"Unique bloodlines make common targets for certain 'collectors'," they said, that old rage masked by how soft their voice was. "My family faced persecution that made us turn away from the populated towns for fear of being hunted for our blood and knowledge. But that meant that when we fell under the gaze of those collectors, we didn't have any allies to turn to."   
  
_Too much. Too much._  
  
"Bloodhound I'm so sorry-"   
  
"I don't want to talk about it anymore," they said to stop him. They wouldn't let him know more than that. They refused to think of Artur now, wouldn't bring that memory to light in front of Elliott. "I only felt that you should know."   
  
Elliott rolled out of their grip and for a moment they regretted every word that passed from their mouth. He was going to leave, they had finally scared him away, he didn't want-   
  
But Elliott only rolled back so that he could tuck his head under their chin and wrap his warm arms around them. "I won't tell anyone," he assured them.   
  
"I know," Bloodhound said. They shouldn't have felt so at ease and yet…   
  
They found themselves melting as easily as Elliott's eyes did from brown to gold. Still in their bed with him, legs now entangled while the rhythm of their breath began to match.   
  
_Loved._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whether Elliott is getting the strap or dicked down is between Bloodhound and the Allfather (but actually hopefully not because the concept of a voyeuristic god is terrifying)
> 
> Also, I can't wait for Respawn to hand us the Loba content because I can already tell that she is going to be so fun to write. 
> 
> And once again, thanks for reading everybody!


	9. Chapter Nine

Bloodhound takes on fewer and fewer hunts as time goes by. It was well into the second month of spring and Elliott had only a little over a month until he would be able to leave the apartment.   
  
They thought that he had been starting to get used to the confinement but as spring continued he began to miss going outside more and more. It didn't escape Bloodhound's sight that he began to spend more time by the windows lately, peeking into the park below their apartment that had begun to flower with spring.   
  
Even Artur seemed to sympathise with him. While their pet hadn't originally liked Elliott, he seemed to be getting used to their new roommate with every passing day. While it wasn't uncommon for Artur to bring back shiny trinkets from his flights, Bloodhound had never seen him share them before.   
  
And yet, their eyes had not deceived them when they saw Artur leave a small flower-covered branch in the kitchen while Elliott had been cooking. Perhaps Elliott could not go down to the park outside, but it seemed that it would not stop Artur from trying to bring the park to him.   
  
One morning while Elliott slept in, Bloodhound had slipped out of the covers and gone to the kitchen. They felt unused to cooking since Elliott had been managing most of it while they were away. However, they still managed to fall into the easier steps that they were familiar with.   
  
While they cooked, Bloodhound couldn't help but glance over to the bedroom door every few minutes. They wanted this to be a surprise if possible.   
  
(They also wanted to be sure that they had adequate time to dispose of any evidence if their cooking turned out horribly.)   
  
Bloodhound ended up finishing their meal just in time to see Elliott poke his head out the door.   
  
"Are you cooking?" He asked. "If you were hungry you could've just woken me up."   
  
"Hm, I actually preferred that you slept in today."   
  
While Elliott shook the drowsiness out of his skin, he headed over to take a seat on one of the stools by the kitchen countertop. "You're not getting sick of my cooking are you?" He asked them.   
  
"Not at all," they replied. In fact, they didn't know how anyone could possibly tire of Elliott's cooking. "I thought it would be nice to pamper you with food for a change."   
  
He leaned a bit forward on the stool to look at what they were preparing. "Did you bake that bread?" He asked.   
  
"It is known as _laufabrauð_ ," they answered. "More easily called leaf bread. It's not as elaborate or tasteful as what you've made me before…Perhaps I should have made _kransekake_ instead."   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"It is a type of cake with many layers," they told him and began to shift the food onto the plates. "Many people have it on special occasions or holidays. I should have made it instead of something as simple as bread."   
  
After all, they wanted to make something special for Elliott. He made cooking seem so effortless when he prepared elaborate and tasteful dishes. He certainly deserved more than they were giving him now.   
  
Elliott waved a hand and drew them away from their thoughts. "Nah, whatever you've made I'm sure it'll be perfect," he said. "So why is it called leaf bread? Are there crushed up leaves in it or something?   
  
"Of course not."   
  
"Then why's it called that?"   
  
"Sometimes people make it in the shape of leaves," they told him. "However, I…Lack the artistic merit for that."   
  
Elliott's frown on his face as he eyed the thin bread made it clear that he disagreed. "But you made those cute little arrows on it!" He exclaimed. "They sort of look like snowflakes now."   
  
Bloodhound took some more food from the fridge, chocolates and strawberries and little dips to put alongside the bread. They moved out from the kitchen and led Elliott to the living room.   
  
"Is that a picnic blanket?" He asked peeking over their shoulder.   
  
"I still have not replaced the couch," they admitted and sat down on the picnic blanket. "We might not be able to have a picnic outside so I had to be a bit creative."   
  
Elliott joined them with an eager smile. "I can't remember the last time I had a picnic," he said, although his voice was almost overshadowed by the thumping sound of his tail against the blanket.   
  
"I must admit that it doesn't have the romantic view of a garden or park-"   
  
"I've got a plenty good view right in front of me," he cut in and scooted a bit closer to where Bloodhound was sitting. "Is this a date? Am I your boyfriend now? Do we have to make a post on Facebook and then field question from our relatives?"   
  
Bloodhound could already imagine the kinds of questions they would get from Wattson.   
  
A frown easily found its way onto their face, "Elliott we've been sleeping together for weeks now."   
  
"Yeah but dating's different from just sleeping with someone for a while," he said and then raised an eyebrow, "wait is it?"   
  
"I thought you would be more experienced than myself on that end," they murmured and tore a piece of the bread away.   
  
He shook his head, "I don't really date people though, I just sort of come and go when I feel like it. I don't normally stick around to have picnics."   
  
"Do you not want to have a picnic?"   
  
"Of course I want to!" He exclaimed and moved close to enough Bloodhound before he rolled into their lap. "This whole thing is so cool! You made snowflake bread and there are chocolates and all this other stuff too. I might've thought different a few months ago and I'm not fully sure why but I like being around you and doing this new stuff. And also I'm ninety-nine percent sure that it isn't Stockholm syndrome or something kicking in."   
  
A faint smile grew on their face and they added, "that one percent is still a very worrying possibility."   
  
Every time Elliott laughed they were reminded of how sweet the sound was. To their joy, Elliott enjoyed the leaf bread and the other little foods that were on the plate. Of course, his company was Bloodhound's favourite part. He seemed to have an endless supply of stories from working at a bar to tell them.   
  
When they were beginning to finish off the food Bloodhound asked a question that had been on their mind for a while now. "What do you plan to do after this?" They wondered aloud while they began to play with his hair.   
  
Elliott blinked, "maybe take a shower and wash my hair?"   
  
"I mean when summer comes," they amended, "have you thought of what you'll do then?"   
  
He looked surprised in their lap but answered, "I don't really know. I've thought a little bit about it but it's not like I have any big plans. Why do you want to know?"   
  
"I was just thinking of the future," they said. "I know you must be worried because of what happened to the couch, but would you still like to learn transmutation magic?"   
  
Bloodhound knew that Elliott had read the book that they'd bought him more than twice, yet they'd never seen him attempt to use any of the magic he'd learnt.   
  
He was quiet for a moment before he admitted, "I know before I said that I didn't want to learn the sort of magic that Renee used on me but…"   
  
"But?"   
  
When Elliott spoke a wince came onto his face, "but sometimes I think that it would just be easier."   
  
"These things are apart of you," they said confused, "they are a gift, you should not be rid of them if you do not want to be."   
  
"What if I want to?" He said quietly.   
  
Bloodhound's hand in his hair stilled, "why would you?"   
  
He let out a shaky exhale but continued, "you….You don't get it."   
  
"Elliott-"   
  
"My mother thinks I'm an engineer," he interrupted suddenly. "She's can't remember enough to know that I'm full of shit. That's the only way that I get away with it, isn't that fucked up?"   
  
Feeling helpless, Bloodhound didn't say anything for a moment. "I know you-" They tried to say but Elliott immediately cut them off.   
  
"No you don't," he snapped. "Do you know that I've been lying to her about that for years now? Once I was done with high school I was happy enough bartending in my town. And of course, I got selfish and I couldn't be happy with just that."   
  
He rolled out of their lap and pushed away from them. When Bloodhound tried to reach out he pushed away their hand, "I don't want you to touch me," he told them, wetness seeping into his voice.   
  
" _Elskan_ , please talk to me."   
  
He wrapped his hands around him and Bloodhound desperately wanted to comfort him. If only they could hold him and touch him, still, they kept their hands to themselves as he asked.   
  
"Elliott please," they asked again, desperation seeping into their tone.   
  
He covered his face with a hand and rubbed over his eyes. "I'd b-been working at the bar for a few years and one day I went into the city with my mum. I'd been before, when my brothers were still here, but I'd never seen the university campus there. I-I just fell in love with it."   
  
It was an easy image to conjure in their mind. Young Elliott in Solace's city that he'd seen only a few times. Yet it would only take a few moments for him to fall in love with a university campus, so full of the busy life that he hadn't experienced in his smaller home town.   
  
"I studied engineering like my mother did when she was younger," he continued. "I thought that I was used to people looking at me differently, that maybe it would be better in the city but it just got worse. Fuck, I don't even know how to explain it. I couldn't even get a roommate who wouldn't stop harassing me as many times as I asked for a different one. Eventually, they just figured that I was making things up. No one took me serious in classes, more than one professor implied that I 'didn't suit engineering', which I figured out was just the nice way of saying that nobody wants to hire a whore as an engineer."   
  
Bloodhound didn't hide the flinch on their face, "I'm so sorry-"   
  
"I quit during the second year," he told them and Bloodhound didn't miss the hitch in his breath. "I stayed in the city working at a club instead. Suited me better, I guess because I didn't drop out of it. I didn't know how to tell my mum so I didn't say anything. I made up excuses not to go home until I couldn't anymore. And when I finally went home…"   
  
He broke off and buried his face into his hands. Bloodhound had never felt more useless. They weren't sure if it would make it better or worse but they murmured, "you once told me that your mother has dementia."   
  
Elliott nodded and pulled his face out of his hands. "She can barely remember me sometimes," he mumbled, "and I used that, fuck I still use it to create this lie that I never dropped out. I-I use her fucking suffering because I'm selfish and I want to at least feel proud of me whenever she can remember me because I'm fucking awful."   
  
"Elliott you're not a bad person," they assured him. They tried to reach out to him but he only shuddered and so they stopped their hand in their air.   
  
He shook his head and finally drew his hands away from his face. "I need to learn transmutation magic," he told them. "I just have to now, okay? First impressions are important when she has to remember someone. She remembers me better when I look how I did when I was younger. Before the wings and everything grew in. Now she sees them and it just sticks out in her mind as something else, something 'different'. She doesn't see my face or recognise me."   
  
"That's why you want to learn transmutation magic?" They murmured.   
  
"It never used to be like that," he said with a hoarse voice, "she used to have to stick up for me all the time. When my horns just started to grow in I remember some parent saying something, I don't remember what it was, just that it made my mum start cursing them out. I thought it was funny because I got to see her yell at someone back then. But then I got older and I started thinking about it and realised that I drew a lot of attention to my mum."   
  
One of his hands laid half-curled on the ground. For a second, he met their gaze and reached that hand out to curl it over theirs.   
  
"Back then I wanted to learn transmutation magic to keep attention away from my family and I," he said with a cracked voice. "But now, I just want to learn it so that she can recognise me. I don't even know what she sees when she looks at me, fuck. I mean, what do you even see?"   
  
They straightened slightly and told him easily, "I see you for you."   
  
He shook his head with a huff and drew away the hand he had laid on theirs. "I'm serious," he said as if Bloodhound had been trying to mislead him. "Am I just your cute roommate for you to play with until you get bored?"   
  
"No of course not-"   
  
"Then what do you see when you look at my wings or my horns or my tail?" He asked incredulously.   
  
"That they are strong and beautiful just as you are-"   
  
He just laughed coldly in a way that felt like it cut the air around them. "I'm not strong, I'm clearly the opposite since I just drop out when something gets hard. I'm too scared to see my mum-"   
  
"Elliott please-"   
  
"I don't even know what I want you to say," he admitted. "Because if you say that you see them as sexy or some shit like that then I'll think that you just like me because I have those incubus parts. But, if you had said that you don't see them then I'd hate that because you wouldn't recognise that part of me it's - it's so…Frustrating."   
  
"I…" They trailed off. "I don't know what to say. I hadn't thought that your markings meant that you were different or wrong. They never made you who you are, they were just as apart of you as your hands or eyes were."   
  
He looked at them listlessly and Bloodhound wished that they could name the expression on his face. He was hesitant when he moved again, he didn't meet their eyes but he inched closer to Bloodhound until he could rest his head on their shoulder.   
  
"I wanted to be like that," he told them so very quietly. "I wanted to do engineering, be that strong person that my mum thought I could be. I wanted to just be me, keep my wings and still do everything I wanted. That I wasn't going to drop out just because things got harder than I expected like I knew people thought I would. But I only proved them right."   
  
They didn't touch him, they weren't sure what Elliott wanted. For now, they simply went still, letting Elliott decide where he wanted them to be. Bloodhound could only be glad that the result was beside him.   
  
If they couldn't touch him, they could at least speak to him. "You may not see it yet," they whispered, "but that does not mean that you're not that person. One day I want you to see that, in the same way that your mother does. In the same way that I do."   
  
They heard him sniff into their shoulder and felt him lift a hand to gently clutch their elbow. Bloodhound felt like the silence was tearing them to pieces. They so desperately wanted to fill the quiet apartment with his laughter or his singing. What if Elliott didn't let them touch him again? What if they wouldn't see him again when summer finally came?   
  
Bloodhound almost jolted when they felt Elliott move to look up at them. "I'm-" he began to say but a hitch in his breath stopped him. "I'm not…I'm not just fun for you right? I think I know it but I need to hear it."   
  
Elliott looked so vulnerable like this. Eyes lidded, they could still feel the radiant warmth from his skin and yet…They couldn't help notice that it didn't feel the same as the swaddling warmth they'd felt before. It was different, dull like a fever. Burnt out.   
  
"Of course not," they murmured and resisted the temptation to brush the hair out of his eyes. "Wattson sees it as well. She was right about you, when she said that you have potential."   
  
"Ha," he huffed and turned his face back into their shoulder. "You can tell that from seeing me laying around the apartment all day?"   
  
They shook their head and a fond smile appeared. "I see it when you pay attention," they explained, "you act with so much care in everything you do. When you talk, when you cook, when you tell your stories, it is in everything you do."   
  
Those eyes flicked up to them and he mumbled, "puzzles too?"   
  
"Especially in puzzles," they assured him and to their relief, Elliott gave a closed-mouth laugh.   
  
When he opened his mouth again he paused to take them all in. He looked around the apartment, spotting the bedroom where they'd both spent more night together than with anyone else. The kitchen, where they had soaked up whatever stories they could take from each other. And then he eyed the picnic blanket where the couch used to be, where Bloodhound now sat beside him.   
  
He took a shuddering breath before he spoke, "I'm sorry. I should never have yelled at you, I feel like an idiot and I promise it won't happen again."   
  
"You never have to apologise for speaking your mind," they told him. "You are not selfish for feeling, for wanting the best for yourself."   
  
"Okay," he murmured quietly and then said something that turned Bloodhound gold and warm, "can you hold me? Just for a little bit if you don't mind."   
  
They moved slowly, giving time for Elliott to adjust while they used an arm to wrap around his waist and tug him closer. Elliott obliged, he still wouldn’t meet Bloodhound's gaze but he kept close enough that they could feel his shaky breaths begin to even out.   
  
"Um, I know I didn't give you much of a choice," he said, "but thanks for listening."   
  
They moved their hand from his waist to his back and began to rub small circles there. "I will always listen whenever you want to talk," they promised him. "I…I know it was not easy for you but I am proud of you for talking to me."   
  
"And I still don't know what I want to do with myself after all that," he said with a laugh but it was tinged with frustration.   
  
"The way you talk of transmutation magic," they said, "I was afraid of seeing you pursue something that would be self-destructive for the sake of others. Though I have lived in anonymity for a long time now, I suppose I have become unused to the fear of being known."   
  
Elliott finally lifted his eyes to look at Bloodhound and let them comb the hair out of his face. Before they could pull away their hand, Elliott gently gripped their wrist and kept their hand cupping his face. Bloodhound was eager to oblige and let him rest the weight of his head in their palm.   
  
He smiled drowsily into the contact and murmured, "but I always thought you looked so human. Like a really crazily beautiful human but still a human. Can people tell that you're not?"   
  
"If they know where to look," they told him. "Some of my features like my sharper canines or hair may be seen as body modifications or a simple magical bloodline. Even then, if one was purposely looking or had the magical ability to track me, then I would stand out."   
  
"Mmm, shame you've got the best hair."   
  
They huffed and brushed their thumb along his cheekbone, "it is not that special."   
  
"You're kidding me, right?" He said with a jolt that almost pushed him out of their hand. "It's sort of like red wine when I think about it. Really hard colour to get for most people. Also, it's icr-irencrid-incredibly fluffy, you know how poodles get all puffed up when you blow-dry them?"   
  
"First you call me a vending machine and now I am a poodle," they sighed. "Will the compliments ever cease?"   
  
He laughed a bit brighter than the last time and used a hand to pet through their hair. "I'm just saying," he explained, "it's a shame that you have to keep covered up. I mean I've heard about trafficking for rare bloodlines but I thought it wasn't as much of a problem in Solace?"   
  
They shrugged and said, "even if it has a lesser presence here, it is nonetheless present. My parents…They - Well…They assumed that their low profile would keep them safe. I…I have been quite foolish. I knew that and yet I had not considered the attention that your wings and features might bring you from the same kind of people."   
  
Bloodhound had only known learned from Artur what had happened to their parents through insinuations.   
  
They had spent their childhood wracked with thoughts of what had happened. Whether their parents had been the mercy of a quick death or if they had been bled slowly to take as much blood possible. At a young age, Bloodhound had come to terms with that, even though the better of their nights were spent imagining if they were somehow still alive and if they could somehow save them.   
  
Without realising it, Bloodhound pulled Elliott closer until he was sitting in their lap and their arms were tightly wrapped around him. Until now, they had not thought of Elliott as a possible target. In their line of work, they did not deal in people, only beasts, although rumours often carried over about those with special bloodlines who had been taken. Sometimes they were never seen of again, other times a vampire might reappear weeks later dropped on a doorstep with their teeth missing.   
  
"Bloodhound?" Some part of their mind registered Elliott's words but they couldn't respond.   
  
They could only think of what might happen if that was Elliott. Maybe they would succeed in tracking him down. Or maybe they'd find him, only to see blood soaked through his hair and dripping on his face, horns absent where they should have been.   
  
Or maybe they wouldn't find him at all. They'd open a door to some collector's den and see blood dripping from a steel table. They'd notice the inhuman gold blood first. Then their eyes would trail up and see black as thick as night. A set of leathery wings on a table, ready to be cleaned and then mounted on the wall with Elliott nowhere in sight.   
  
Or-   
  
Or-   
  
"Houndie you're shaking," they heard Elliott say, voice soaked in concern.   
  
They felt a gentle hand on their chin turn them to look at him. To look at Elliott. Whole.   
  
Their tongue felt like sandpaper when they spoke next, "I-I just want you to be safe."   
  
A hand dragged through their hair, soft and consoling. "Ah, you don't have to worry about me," he promised them. "I've never had to worry about that sort of thing."   
  
"No one does until it happens to them," they murmured and tightened their grip on Elliott's waist.   
  
"I guess you're right," he conceded. "A couple of decades back it used to be a bigger problem for incubus' since pretty much anyone could summon them if they knew the right words. But ever since the Succubi Union for Community Cos-Condis-uh…Considerations that's it. Yeah well, ever since SUCC became a thing it's almost entirely stopped being a problem."   
  
They frowned, "If I remember correctly, you were kicked out."   
  
"Kicked out is a strong word," he said and then paused at the look that Bloodhound gave him. "Okay sure, I got the old boot. But I can join again in about…A few months I think."   
  
"You should as soon as you can," they told him, "even if the name is terrible it's important to have that protection."   
  
"Alright, alright," he assured them. "I'll have to do so much stuff when summer comes. I quit working at the bar a few months ago to take care of my mum when she started to get worse instead of that private nurse she had. I told her I took a vacation to help her but…I'll tell her the truth when I can. Maybe try to see if that nurse will work for her again. See if I can work at the bar again too."   
  
They slowly relaxed the grip that they had on Elliott, they hadn't pressed hard enough that it would have caused any terrible pain but they knew that it would uncomfortable for him. "Do you want to work at the bar again?" They asked.  
  
Elliott laughed and they could feel his tail thumping against their leg. "Well as tempting as it, I can't just have you as a sugar parent…Sugar parent doesn't sound dirty enough…Hm, maybe…Glucose guardian?"   
  
"After that nickname, you've lost your sugar privileges," they said with a roll of their eyes but they couldn't fight the smile that came onto their face.   
  
"That's fine, you're sweet enough by yourself," he said with a grin. "And the bar? Uh, I mean I think I could get work there again if I tried."   
  
"But is it what you want to do?"   
  
He tilted his head and continued playing with Bloodhound's hair while he considered that. "Not forever," he eventually settled on saying, "I've always liked magic but…Maybe I've been too dead set on transmutation for too long."   
  
"Whatever you need," they told him, "you only need to tell me and I will do my best to help. I know that by summer you might be sick of this place but if you ever need somewhere to stay-"   
  
"As long as you're around I don't think I could get tired of this place," he interrupted. "Maybe I could still stay here for a while? Or a little longer than a while if that's okay."   
  
Bloodhound settled a small kiss on his cheek and vowed, "for as long as you like." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really felt like writing some hurt/comfort and it shows! I've learnt that my three writing styles are: memes, hurt/comfort, and porn that would make a priest cry. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope that everyone's staying healthy and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a little bit longer but I'm excusing that because it's a chunky 7.5k so I hope you enjoy it!

Buying a couch shouldn't have been so difficult.   
  
In Bloodhound's mind, it would be an easy process. Find a website that sold a similar couch and buy it. Simple.   
  
They should have expected that Elliott's influence in their life had made doing anything simple impossible. They were in bed, Bloodhound was sitting between his legs while they browsed for a decent website that would offer quick delivery.   
  
Elliott's chin was resting on their shoulder while he looked at the screen. His arms were wrapped around their waist and they could feel the warmth of his bare chest on their back. They'd just had a shower and he'd foregone throwing on a shirt afterwards, instead, he'd only put on pyjamas boxers that he wore to bed.   
  
Occasionally, he took a second to press a few kisses on their neck or chin while he strummed his fingers on their waist. Still, as much as they wanted to let their thoughts drift away and focus on Elliott, they had put off this task for too long.   
  
"Found anything good yet?" he murmured into their ear.   
  
They ignored how close lips were to them and continued to flick through the tabs on their laptop. "I think so," they said, "this website has a sale on a couch similar to my last one."   
  
They weren't expecting the strangled whining sound that Elliott made. "Uh, really?" He asked hesitantly.   
  
With a huff, they twisted their head to look at him, "what was wrong with my old couch?"   
  
"Look I will sit on whatever couch you want," he said and lifted his hands in surrender. Bloodhound lifted their own hands, dissatisfied that those warm hands had left them and tugged them back into place. Elliott just smiled at that and mumbled, "needy."   
  
"But?" They directed him back to the question.   
  
He shrugged and explained "the whole at-ahstet-aesthetic of it was very eighties…You know that whole cream with a weird flower-print look."   
  
"I thought it was a nice design," they said indignantly.   
  
"I'm not trying to be mean," he apologised with another kiss on their cheek. "But I have to say, when we first met and I saw it, I thought some old person had summoned me."   
  
Bloodhound rolled their eyes and turned their attention back to the laptop screen but noted, "yet you still attempted to try to seduce me."   
  
Although Bloodhound would quietly admit that they were glad for that.   
  
"You say 'attempted' like I didn't succeed," he teased. "Look, I figured you either had just really bad taste or were incredibly old and I hedged my bets on that."   
  
"You didn't consider that I could have been an immortal like a vampire?" They asked him.   
  
Elliott just laughed at that, "no way, even those stuffy old vampires are way too vain to have an ugly couch."   
  
They considered that. They had bought most of the furniture in their apartment on a budget when they had first moved in. When they had established their reputation as a hunter, they had considered replacing some of their older or outdated furniture but had always discarded those thoughts.   
  
"I suppose I do have quite a flexible budget for things like this now," they considered. "Well then, what sort of lounge would choose, I'm guessing leather?"   
  
He hummed by their ear and they felt one of his hands drift down to rub circles on their inner thigh. "Mmm," he contemplated, "actually I prefer leather on me."   
  
"No preference then? I'll just order the same-"   
  
"No, no, no please I'll stop being hilarious I swear," he interjected with a whine. "Um…Maybe start from an easy colour like grey or blue? Sort by that until you find one you like."   
  
They followed his advice and changed the search settings and continued to browse. Certainly, they felt that could buy nicer furniture and by now they had begun to recognise that practicality had its faults. After all, they knew that buying things simply for the purpose that they made you happy had their own practical function. But that was not the only reason why Bloodhound felt the need to upgrade their couch now.   
  
Because they felt the need to impress Elliott.   
  
They still remembered the way that his eyes had lit up when Bloodhound had bought him the transmutation spell book all those weeks ago. At the same time, they almost felt guilty about doing it. Elliott was stuck here, after all, he was partly dependent on them. They didn't want him to feel indebted to them because they bought him gifts, even if a couch didn't count as a gift.   
  
Perhaps they were overthinking this.   
  
They didn't realise that they had paused on a tab of a lounge for a few moments now. They only realised when Elliott chimed in, "you like that one?"   
  
On the screen was an l-shaped grey couch, larger than their last couch had been and certainly nicer. It had a faint modern styling to it with short wooden legs. They glanced at the price tag, it was a little more expensive than they might have predicted but it wasn't as if they didn't have the money to buy it. Hunters were paid as well as was any other career that dealt with magic.   
  
"It's nice," they said quietly.   
  
Elliott frowned, "do you not like it? We can keep browsing."   
  
"No, I do," they rushed to say. "I suppose that I am just unused to indulging in things like this. My upbringing was much more frugal and I wonder if I will ever be used to having this sort of money."   
  
They were quiet for a moment and they turned back to Elliott to give him a small kiss on his cheek. He blinked and that drowsy smile that they loved appeared.   
  
"What did I do to deserve that?" He teased pressed a kiss on them in return.   
  
They almost laughed at the question, "you don't have to do anything to deserve a kiss from me. Thank you for helping me decide."   
  
He only shrugged again. "It's not a big deal I just think you deserve a nice couch," he then added with a smirk, "and one that'll be fun to break in."   
  
"Do you want me to get this couch just so that we can have sex on it?"   
  
"Maybe," he teased until Bloodhound gave him a plain look. "I'm just happy that you're getting something that you like. And uh, speaking of needing stuff…"   
  
His fingers had paused wandering on their hips and they frowned, "what do you need?"   
  
"I know that you weren't that thrilled the last time that Renee came over," he began. "But uh, I was wondering if I could call her over to get rid of this seal on my wings?"   
  
Bloodhound knew that he'd been considering getting rid of the seal lately. They'd brought it up a few times but he had never seemed to respond to the question seriously, always brushing it with off with a story or a joke.   
  
Silently, they bookmarked the page of the couch and closed their laptop before they set it aside on the bedside table. Then, they twisted around so they were facing him and asked, "how long have you been thinking about this?"   
  
"A few days," he replied, "when I first got them sealed I thought I was holding out until I could leave. But uh, things are different now with us and the way I think about it has changed too. So if I'm staying around for a while, I don't really want to keep my wings sealed all the time."   
  
They smiled drowsily, "you want to call Renee in a moment?"   
  
He avoided their eyes for a moment before he continued, "I think so. I mean the back massages from you are amazing don't get me wrong, but uh, there are downsides too."   
  
"Downsides?"   
  
"Ha sure, I mean in bed you couldn't be the big spoon if my wings were folded behind me. Also, I don't want to make Artur feel insecure-"   
  
They interrupted him when they began to notice anxiety seeping into his tone. "Elliott-"   
  
"Just checking that you're comfortable with it," he murmured and rested his hands back on their waist.   
  
"Of course I would be," they assured him and then added, "this is your choice, not mine. My opinion on this shouldn't matter _elskan_."   
  
He smiled and one of his hands left their waist to start playing with their hair. "Okay, okay, I just needed to check," he smiled, "I'll give Renee a ring a see when she can swing by."   
  
Last time they had been bothered by Renee's sudden appearance in their apartment. They had allowed themselves that fear then, it was unusual for some witches to be involved in the black market after all. When she had left, they had wondered if she had seen something or if they had done something to alert her to their unique bloodline.   
  
They had hardly known Elliott back then and now it difficult to imagine that he could speak of Renee so amicably if he was aware of the consequences she could bring. Besides, Wattson had even seen the apartment now, even if they hadn't overcome their fear of letting Renee stop by it would be rather pointless since she had already seen their home.   
  
Then there was another point to consider. From what Elliott had said, Renee and he were friends, close ones in fact. Unlike last time, they now felt more of a pressure to have a decent standing with her, after all, last time they had snapped at her to leave the apartment.   
  
And that memory bought something else to mind too. "Will it hurt?" They asked him. "Last time I remember…"   
  
"A bit," he admitted, "it won't take as long to have it removed."   
  
"Is there anything I could get to help you?" They asked, leaning a bit closer give him a small kiss on his jaw in the way that always seemed to make him smile.   
  
He giggled a bit at the soft feeling and said with a smile, "you could always kiss it better for me afterwards."   
  
"It will not be difficult to persuade me of that," they murmured and continued to press a trail of those kisses up to his ear.   
  
"Alright, alright," he protested against the ticklish feeling and rolled out of bed. "I'll give Renee a call and you can distract me more afterwards."   
  
"And I'll order the couch," they agreed and pulled the laptop back to them again. "Just one more thing Elliott."   
  
He stopped a second before he left the room and looked back at them, "what is it?"   
  
A slender smile appeared on their face and they beckoned him closer, "you have to come closer if you want to find out."   
  
Elliott put on a bit of a display, his eyes scanning around like he was undercover as he slowly tiptoed closer to Bloodhound. When he reached them on the bed he leaned down and asked again in a whisper, "what is it?"   
  
They pushed themselves up a bit higher on the bed a pressed a kiss on his forehead, "for good luck."   
  
"I'm only going to the living room Hound," he laughed.   
  
"Yes, but I will still miss you."   
  
Elliott returned the gesture with a kiss in return even though he was quietly laughing. "You've turned me into such a sap," he whined.   
  
"So now I am a great seducer?" They asked with a higher pitch. "Was it the puzzle or the Rubik's cube that I gave you that did the trick?"   
  
With another small kiss on their forehead and a small promise to "see you in a moment," Elliott ducked out back into the living room.   
  
Bloodhound brushed their thumb on the spot where he had kissed, feeling the quickly receding warmth of it and wondering how they had gone for so long without having Elliott in their life.   
  
\-   
  
The next day when Bloodhound opened the door, Renee barely got a greeting out before Wattson poked her head out from behind the witch. She sheepishly asked Bloodhound if she could join as well while offering them a basket of muffins. They might have otherwise said no, except for the fact that it was Wattson and muffins were involved.   
  
Elliott was already getting in the living room where Bloodhound had laid out the picnic blanket again. The couch wouldn't come for a few more days and the least they could do in the meanwhile was make him comfortable.   
  
Bloodhound took the basket from Wattson to set in the kitchen after inviting her in. Meanwhile, Elliott was already waving them over to where he was sitting.   
  
When Renee walked into the living room she paused for a second before she asked, "didn't there used to be a couch here?"   
  
Elliott seemed to ignore that when he called to her, "Natalie, always a pleasure to see you!"   
  
"Renee and I were getting coffee and she told she was stopping by today," she explained. "It's been too long since I've seen you and I just wanted to check up!"   
  
"Coffee?" He asked with a laugh. "Since when do you drink coffee?"   
  
"I like coffee," she protested then added quietly, "sometimes. I just haven't been able to get any hunting jobs for a while and designing plans for my electric fields are satisfying but…"   
  
Renee dropped the satchel she was carrying with a heavy thud when Bloodhound re-entered the room. While she dug through the items in the bag she grumbled without looking at Wattson, "but it doesn't beat destroying beasts the size of this apartment building?"   
  
"Not at all!" Wattson protested. "My satisfaction in my work comes from helping those put in danger by those monsters!"   
  
"Sure," Elliott and Renee said at the same time as if this was a conversation that they'd had a dozen times over before.   
  
Bloodhound hadn't quite expected that. From what the two were implying Wattson found her own satisfaction from…Violence. They supposed that it wouldn't be impossible, they found hunting rewarding themselves but they hadn't expected the same from the younger woman. Elliott didn't seem to have a penchant for it but to each their own Bloodhound supposed.   
  
It seemed that every time they talked to Wattson, they found out something unexpectedly new.   
  
Wattson opened and shut her mouth with a sigh, seeming to decide that the argument wasn't worth it. "I'm just glad that you're doing alright here so far," she said with a small smile, "and surprised as well."   
  
"Of course I'm doing fine," he said with a wave, "Bloodhound's great company and I've got someone to experiment recipes with now."   
  
"I was just worried about you staying energized," she said, "I guess cooking for you is more satisfying than I thought."   
  
It definitely wasn't cooking that was keeping Elliott energized but Bloodhound wasn't reaching to correct her.   
  
He only laughed at that, "that's just because you don't have a taste for cuisine."   
  
"My taste in food is fine, thank you."   
  
"Microwavable pizzas don't count as food."   
  
Renee set several items down on the floor beside her and then snapped her fingers to get Elliott's attention. "Alright shirt off," she ordered and then added when she caught him about to open his mouth, "and don't you dare make a joke about me taking you out to dinner first."   
  
Elliott shut his mouth and left his shirt in his lap, he got comfortable in his spot, stretching his arms out and yawning.   
  
As they sat down with them, Wattson asked, "have you seen Renee use magic before? She's very talented."   
  
"I cannot say that I have Wattson," they answered.   
  
"Oh you can call me Natalie outside of work," she said with a small blush, "it seems funny to answer by my call sign out of work."   
  
"Very well."   
  
Renee dug her fingers into one jar that she had set out, her fingers came back coated in a blue balm that smelled suspiciously liked honey. She set out about drawing several lines and marks over around the current seal on his back.   
  
The witch paused after wiping her hands on a small hand towel. She then asked, "you ready for this?"   
  
"I guess," he said with a groan, "I just don't know how you manage to do it so often Natalie."   
  
"Oh it's not too bad," Natalie said with a wave of a hand, "it's worth it in the end, means I can wear a jacket."   
  
Elliott groaned, "ah shit I forgot about that. Looks like it's back to halter tops again."   
  
When Natalie turned her head to look at what Renee was doing, he gave a small wink to Bloodhound. They could almost imagine the joke that he wanted to make about being a perfect view for Bloodhound in those halter neck tops.   
  
However, in front of the two women, he refrained from doing so. They'd had a small discussion before the two women had come over. It was surprisingly simple, both agreeing that they weren't ready to mention their relationship to anyone yet.   
  
Elliott had asked about talking about it once summer came around. Bloodhound had been uncertain and less eager but they had agreed. For a long time, their personal life had remained almost entirely private, even in their work they weren't eager to hand out more information about themselves than required.   
  
"This might hurt a bit Elliott," Renee apologised before she lifted her cupped hands to her mouth and let out a long breath.   
  
"It always does."   
  
When she drew her hands away they were glowing a deep colour that clung like a fog. She slowly rose her hands to his back, Bloodhound couldn't see exactly what she was doing from her angle but from the furrowing of her brow, she looked deep in concentration.   
  
They didn't know how Elliott looked. As soon as her hands had touched his back, he'd let out a shaky breath and buried his face in his hands. Bloodhound felt useless only watching him. They itched to do something, hold him, even just his hand while he let out little hiccups of pain.   
  
They were almost tempted to tell Renee to stop. They didn't have a clock in sight yet it already felt as if it was taking too long. Surely she must have been finished by now? They had to chew the inside of their mouth to keep from saying anything. Elliott had warned them that it was painful but seeing it was…   
  
Finally, Renee paused and murmured something that was too quiet for them to hear and they thought that they heard Elliott almost sob. The next thing they saw was black.   
  
It happened too quickly for them to register what had occurred but the next moment Elliott's wings were back in place. His wings twitched, sensitive the air of the apartment and the slight draft from the open window.   
  
Bloodhound was tempted to stay but reminded themselves of what Elliott had asked for last time and headed quickly to the kitchen to get him a glass of water. When they returned, Elliott was resting his elbows on his knees and his wings were spreading and folding behind him, like he trying to remember exactly how those powerful muscles functioned.   
  
Wordlessly, they handed him the glass which he downed almost instantly and finally took those hands away from his face. His face was a blotchy red but he gave Bloodhound a frayed smile as if to say 'see? Everything's fine.'   
  
Renee didn’t seem to want to stick around because she was already cleaning up her gear and saying, "unless you need anything else I'll be on my way."   
  
"Don't want to stay for a bit?" Natalie asked her. "It feels like it's been such a long time…"   
  
With a shake of her head, Renee continued, "no, but I could use the help at my next appointment if you're offering Nat."   
  
Had their gaze remained on Elliott, they would have missed the quick once over she had given in their direction. They didn't necessarily like that gaze either and couldn't help but wonder if she'd seen something that had piqued her interest that laid beneath their mask. Whether or not she had seen noticed something between Elliott and them wasn't something they were ready to ask.   
  
"I'd be happy to help," Natalie said with a smile before she gave Elliott a quick pat on the shoulder, "if there's anything you need, just give me a ring."   
  
"Thanks for the hospitality or whatever," Renee said with a wave to them before she turned to him, "you owe me a drink when you get out of here."   
  
Elliott gave them both equally incomprehensible responses while Bloodhound was already fetching him another drink and by the time they had gotten back, both women had already left the apartment. Elliott was quiet when they came back although they didn't expect anything else. Once he finished with the drink he practically fell onto Bloodhound's chest with a groggy sound on his lips.   
  
A smile grew on their face as his breaths began to even out and they asked, "can I help you off of the floor?"   
  
It only took him a moment to mumble, "my legs don't want to move."   
  
That may have been so but Bloodhound could still certainly move. It wasn't too difficult to move Elliott themselves, he was willing to adjust his arms and legs to reach around to their back so that they could pick him up. His wings made him heavier but they were much lighter than they had expected in the first place.   
  
With a few giggles, slips, and almost falls, they managed to hold Elliott up while they opened the door to the bedroom and sat him down on the bed. They were eager to remove their gear, at home it had begun to feel like such a weight with Elliott around.   
  
"Mind turning off the light?" He asked, already tugging the warmer covers over his skin.   
  
Bloodhound obeyed and heard a sigh of relief from him once the room became much darker, there was still a natural light from the nearby window coming through. They had brought blinds when they first moved in to cover the window but had realised it was pointless considering how high their apartment was compared to the local buildings.   
  
"How do you feel?" They asked him and began to join him in the bed.   
  
"Always feels weird afterwards," he murmured as he manoeuvred himself to tuck his head into their neck. "It's easier than sealing it though. Just have to get used to the feeling again, sort of like when you sit on your foot and you get pins and needles."   
  
They raked a hand through the back of his head, enjoying the feeling of his shaved sides and the sensation of Elliott humming an appreciative sound into their neck. They repeated the action a few times before they asked, "is there anything I can do to help you?"   
  
"Mmm," he considered for a moment before he lifted his head up, "I remember you saying that you wanted to touch my wings. Could take that out for a spin right now."   
  
"You're still…" They trailed off. "You should rest, this sort of magic doesn’t seem to rest easy on the body."   
  
Elliott made an unimpressed sound, "c'mon it'll be good for my back anyway. It's like massaging a muscle, long as you be gentle you'll be helping me out."   
  
With that, he pulled away from them and shuffled to the middle of the bed with an expectant look.   
  
"I think you just want a massage," they teased him softly but still moved closer to him.   
  
"Can you blame me?"   
  
With a short laugh, they pushed themselves off of their knees and onto his back so that they could straddle him easily. They would have been lying if they had told him that they hadn't been looking forward to this. This time they were hiked up a bit further on his back, just above his tailbone so that they would only be focusing on one aspect of him tonight.   
  
"Where should I start?" They asked him quietly.   
  
Elliott shifted a little bit, tugging a pillow closer to him so he could rest his head on it and said, "maybe around the middle? I can't reach around that easily so starting in familiar areas sounds good."   
  
They made an affirmative noise and leaned a bit closer. Elliott had spread out his wings so they could inspect them, up close they could appreciate every intricacy to them. His veins were almost undetectable at first glance and they wondered if areas on his wings would brighten with gold the same ways that his eyes or freckles would do.   
  
Elliott seemed to be growing anxious with the tension that got tighter with each passing second. The first touch was gentle, simply brushing over the expanse of those wings around what they figured was the middle. It was softer than they had imagined, hotter than his already warmer body temperature as well.   
  
In response, Elliott let out a shiver beneath them but didn't give them a signal to stop. So they continued, they brushed again, this time placing more weight on their thumb as they pressed along his wing.   
  
"Good?" They tried to confirm.   
  
"If you keep up that pace then I'll be a skeleton before you get to the good stuff," he grumbled.   
  
"Be patient," they scolded him lightly before they leaned down to press a kiss on the tip of his ear. "Let me take care of you."   
  
Elliott settled his face back into the pillow while Bloodhound stroked their hand across this right wing. Feeling how the wing became thicker around the top part, at the same time they figured that those parts may be less sensitive since he didn't seem to react much.   
  
That changed when they moved closer to the middle of his back where his wings began. This sort of area was uncharted territory for the both of them and Bloodhound wanted to make sure they were careful.   
  
When they massaged into a small spot where his wing began, they heard an abrupt sound break from his mouth and saw his hand lurch up to grab at the soft pillow.   
  
"D-do that again," he ordered but it came out as more of a begging sound.   
  
Bloodhound was eager to pick up on that soft spot. They kept their thumb on the top of the wing and at the same time curled their index finger underneath his wing to rub at the same point. Elliott kept his face out of the pillow, letting Bloodhound indulge in the hiccupping sounds from his lips.   
  
"That's nice?" They asked him.   
  
"F-Fu-obviously," he managed to say, "ha, fuck it feels like I'm going to melt into the bed."   
  
They lifted their other hand off of his hip so that they could pay the same attention to his left wing. When they began to press the same movements into the other wing, Elliott jerked forward on the bed hard enough that it almost knocked them off of him.   
  
"That's it, so good for me Houndie," he praised, turning his head to the side so they could see those beautiful golden freckles of his. "C-Can't believe I ever sealed them away, sh-should've known you'd treat me like this. O-Only let you touch them like this cause I-I-"   
  
He broke off when they pressed firmly on a spot between the middle of his back and where his wing began.   
  
"You what?" They asked.   
  
But Elliott didn't continue, he was biting his lip and avoiding eye contact, choosing to stare at the wall ahead. They paused their movements, taking their left hand and stroking along the top of their wing tightly until reached the tip, those nerves were less sensitive, requiring them to use a bit more pressure to make him gasp.   
  
He shook his head, "doesn't matter j-just keep on going."   
  
They frowned, keeping their hands splayed underneath his wings when they leaned down closer to him. They pressed little kisses on the few freckles near the top of his back until he met their gaze again.   
  
"What is it?" They repeated softly while their hand abandoned its stop to cup his face.   
  
He leaned into the gesture as much as he could while on his stomach, a small smile on his face when their thumb began to trace over his freckles. He let out slow little breaths while those gold eyes lifted up to look at them properly. Bloodhound still didn't know what Elliott saw in them, the scarring never seemed to bother him and they could never understand why that was.   
  
Their thumb brushed lower, about to brush over those warm lips. That beautiful mouth that came up with so many stories and made their clutch with each smile. Instead, those lips parted softly.   
  
"I love you."   
  
When Elliott said those words he was left staring at them. Waiting for some kind of reaction, a smile, a flinch, anything would do outside of their paused expression.   
  
Still, Bloodhound didn't move, Elliott winced and tried to roll out from underneath them but they kept a hand on his shoulder, gentle but ever-present.   
  
He lifted a hand over his eyes beginning to ramble, "I really fucked this up, didn't I? P-Please just forget I said anything in the first place - It-It's not a big deal-"   
  
Their hand softly gripped his wrist, pulling it away from his eyes so that they could properly see him. "I-" they said before flinching in surprise at how soft their voice was, how raw and vulnerable. "I don't know how I know this, but I know that I love you too."   
  
"Y-You mean that?"   
  
A relieved giggle broke out but neither of them could tell who it was from in that moment. With a soft smile, Elliott prodded at the hand on his shoulder and Bloodhound knowingly lifted it and pulled their weight off of his back so that they were sitting next to him.   
  
"I love you," Bloodhound repeated, the words felt raw in their mouth. Those words were awkward and unused, not fitting at all for the way that they felt about him.   
  
Elliott rushed to ask, "y-you're not just saying that right? Just because I said it doesn't mean you have to say it too-"   
  
"Of course I love you," they said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You are made of so much light and good and of course I can't help but love you. Sometimes I think that there is too much of you to love but every time it only makes me love you more."   
  
His fingers pet at the bed, beckoning them until they straddled him and rested their elbows by his head. "I swear you're a poet or something," he teased and leaned up to give them a quick kiss. "Now you've got to give me a chance to ramble off the things I love about you."   
  
"No."   
  
"No?"   
  
They smiled and started to pave small kisses on a trail to his mouth a murmured, "because you are going to be too busy kissing me."   
  
"That works for me too."   
  
Bloodhound barely got a chance to laugh before Elliott was already kissing them. They kept one hand busy while they kissed, stroking along the tip of his wing while the other kept his hand pinned by his head.   
  
On a tighter grasp of his wing Elliott had to pull away to gasp for air, "if you keep doing that I won't be able to kiss you."   
  
"I don't think I mind," they told him and ground back onto his steadily growing erection. "Something on your mind elskan?"   
  
"With you around? Always," he grinned but paused when Bloodhound went to start stroking him. "W-Wait, I was uh, I know we haven't done it before but…Maybe tonight I could fuck you?"   
  
"Fuck me?" They repeated.   
  
"God why does everything sound sexier when you say it," he grumbled, "fucking accent."   
  
They laughed and pressed another quick kiss to the corner of his smile.   
  
"It's not something I usually prefer doing," they considered aloud. That had been correct in the past at least, with a few of their previous partners they found it too uncomfortable for someone to have that kind of control over them. Then again, this wasn't the past and those people had not been Elliott. "But perhaps I could reconsider," they continued.   
  
Bloodhound could hear Elliott's tail thumping against the bed which only made them smile. His face was flushed, glittering with those beautiful golden specks when he assured them, "I could go real slow and everything. Promise that I'll use a lot of lube and do everything the way you like it."   
  
They weren't even sure how they agreed so quickly. It almost surprised them how their mind had changed in the past weeks to come to this conclusion so immediately. But it felt right, it was hard for something to feel wrong when they were with Elliott and he had that reassuring smile on his face.   
  
They gave him a short nod and when Elliott stayed put they added, "that's a yes."   
  
He grinned wildly and got out from underneath them, heading to the draw where they kept the lube while he started pulling his pants off.   
  
"You're very excited about this," they noted while they started shrugging off their own clothes as well.   
  
"Uh, I'd be crazy if I wasn't."   
  
When Elliott sat back onto the bed he set the lube close by on the bedside table while he got comfortable between their legs. Normally, they might pull him closer by his hair or horns while his mouth would go to work. This time, however, they weren't fully certain how to go forward.   
  
Elliott seemed to notice this because one of his hands started to rub along the strong muscles of their inner thigh while his mouth laid soft kisses on the opposite thigh.   
  
They felt the warmth in his voice when he murmured, "we'll take it slow. Tell me what you do and don't like and we'll go from there, okay?"   
  
Bloodhound gave him a hesitant nod and spread their legs a bit wider, feeling more discomfort than they normally would at Elliott's tender attention. It felt partly embarrassing and they found themselves wondering what they looked like, what exactly he saw.   
  
"I love you," they said quietly again while he coated his fingers in lube.   
  
A dopey smile appeared on his face when he promised, "I love you too."   
  
He pressed what was meant to be a quick kiss on their mouth that instead lengthened, turning slow and deep. They sighed into his mouth when they felt Elliott's warm finger press against them. He broke the kiss for a moment to look up at them and check if everything was alright. Bloodhound gave a shaking nod and pulled him back to kiss him while he slowly began to pump that finger inside them.   
  
They knew they wouldn't feel much yet, not with just the one finger but Elliott was certainly making the most of it. They had to admit that they loved the way his fingers felt, the warmth of them was a surprise but felt oddly pleasant while inside them.   
  
They broke the kiss for a moment to say, "another."   
  
Elliott didn't tease them and they were glad that he knew not to right now. The second finger was more of stretch, not necessarily an unpleasant one but one they were unused to nonetheless. His mouth left theirs and began moving down to their neck and started to leave warm wet marks wherever he laid his mouth.   
  
When he began to curl his fingers, Bloodhound had to stop from kicking their leg out in surprise. They felt Elliott chuckle softly in response as he began to curl his fingers there over and over again.   
  
They bit down on their hand to keep those harsher noises from spilling out and almost sobbed when they felt him slow his fingers.   
  
"Why-" They started to protest only for him to gently pull their hand away from their mouth.   
  
"Have to be careful with those chompers," he warned them lightly, "besides, it hardly seems fair for you to be able to cover up those sounds when you're always pulling my face out of a pillow."   
  
Bloodhound couldn't help but blush at that and kept their hand in his shaved sides instead. They didn't say anything, only thrusted their hips back onto those fingers to try to regain that pace from before. When Elliott obliged them and kept those meticulous hands moving again, they could have screamed from the way his fingers continued to curl against them, harsher than before.   
  
"Ell-" They tried to say but were cut off by a sound that came from the back of their throat. "I want to fuck you now-"   
  
"I thought the whole point of this was for me to fuck you?" He asked with a grin on his face and didn't slow his fingers in them.   
  
They grunted in frustration, "yes - I meant - ah gods. Slow down, I can't think like this."   
  
Elliott did slow down, only after getting a few last thrusts against them that made them squeeze their eyes shut from the stimulation. Still, those fingers stayed inside them, scissoring them open and Bloodhound could only imagine how obscene they must have looked right now.   
  
"Houndie?" He asked too innocently.   
  
"I want to ride you," they managed to say, way past the point of embarrassment. "Let me be the one setting the pace."   
  
He swore under his breath, "you sure? Thought I was taking care of you tonight?"   
  
"I am sure my love."   
  
"Okay yep definitely, if you call me that I'll do anything you want," he fumbled.   
  
His fingers slowly withdrew from them and Bloodhound couldn't help the long whine that clawed its way through their lips. An obscene needy sound that they wouldn't have felt comfortable making around anyone but Elliott.   
  
Once Elliott had pulled back, Bloodhound didn't waste time in pinning him onto the bed and getting on top of him. "You always look so pretty underneath me," they smiled as they stroked his cock.   
  
"H-Hound don't tease me now," he protested and tugged at their hip. "Want to feel you for myself."   
  
They couldn't deny him that now could they? Not when he pleaded so well, not when he was bathed in gold and those onyx wings were spread out on the bed with lines of gold brightening his veins like the lines of a map.   
  
Bloodhound gripped his cock tightly as they lined themselves up properly, their legs still shaking from Elliott's attention earlier but they wouldn't let that stop them. Slowly, they began to ease down on him, they wanted to do this much faster, get over the discomfort and just start moving but Elliott's soft eyes reminded them to take their time.   
  
They swallowed a groan once they had the head of his cock inside them. They couldn't remember if the last person they'd done this with had been this thick or if it had just been too long, it didn't feel like the latter as they continued to ease down.   
  
And then Elliott began to talk.   
  
"You look so perfect," he babbled. "Fuck and you're so tight around me - ah! Yes just like that like - feels so perfect. Wanted to be on top but you make such a perfect view like this. Are you gonna take all of me Hound? Want to see what you look like around my cock, I want to see you come riding me-"   
  
With every piece of praise Bloodhound eased further down on his cock, it was an almost dizzying feeling and they didn't know how else to describe it as anything other than _full_.   
  
They pushed down further but didn't feel more, when they looked down they realised in surprise that they had taken all of it. Their legs were still shaking on either side of him, there was a slight bit of pain but they were more proud than anything that they'd managed to take him.   
  
"I love you Elliott."   
  
He opened his mouth, no doubt to chase it with words other than the whimper that had come from him. If he had planned to say anything - it completely broke off as Bloodhound began to ride him.   
  
They started slow, hands gripping his waist as they lifted back up and down. At first, they were only getting used to the stretch, trying to figure out the best way to do this properly. It was hard to think properly when Elliott's hands fumbled to grab at their hips and pulled them down as he thrust back up.   
  
"Elliott it feels-" they broke off into a long groan as they felt his cock grind against that spot in them again.   
  
He flicked his gaze up, "you okay? Wanna change positions?"   
  
"N-No," Bloodhound shook their head. "It's a lot but it's perfect. Gods, you're perfect."   
  
"You feel so good," he groaned, "fuck I think I was made to do this. Whether it's you fucking me or the other way around I don't care, as long as it's you, wanna be yours, don't want anybody else to do this for me."   
  
They splayed a hand on his chest and they began to move faster. As Elliott rambled the thought made them curl their fingers on his chest. _Theirs. Theirs. Theirs._ The marks on their neck proved that as equally as how he melted when they touched his wings. He was theirs just as much as they were his.   
  
"Bloodhound," he whined, needy and pawing at their hips, "not gonna last long. Need you - please! Please touch yourself."   
  
Their hand dropped down immediately, it was hard to focus on keeping pace while they were touching themselves like this but they needed it so badly now.   
  
"Are you going to come inside me?" They asked him and the noise Elliott made in response couldn't be described as anything but pornographic. "I want to feel you elskan, want to see your pretty face when you come-"   
  
He groaned in desperation and started thrusting quicker into them, taking Bloodhound by surprise and they almost lost their grip on his waist and almost fell over. "E-Elliot," they moaned, "I'm close, I'm close, just like that."   
  
They wanted to keep going, praise him with every word but they felt his cock slam against that spot as they were touching themselves and they almost collapsed from the force of their orgasm. Elliott didn't stop either, thrusting hard against them as their voice cracked.   
  
Bloodhound clenched their thighs tightly around his waist when they felt Elliott come inside them. They collapsed onto him, leaning into his throat as he kept his hips flush against them as he spilled into them, warm and perfect like he was. Elliott was still murmuring praise and affection into their ear even if Bloodhound was too far dazed to process any of it.   
  
Elliott helped to lift their hips enough that they were pulled off of his cock. They could feel the mess of lube and cum inside them but couldn't quite bring themselves to care, soon, the discomfort would start to creep up on them but for now all that mattered was staying close to Elliott.   
  
Elliott who loved them.   
  
The man who huffed a laugh a poked at their cheekbone and mumbled, "you look like a cat sunbathing right now."   
  
Their eyes looked at him plainly, "you're normally better at pillow talk than this."   
  
"I'm serious," he teased, "you should be Bloodkitty instead."   
  
"If you continue that line of thought," they tried to tell him in a threatening tone although it was undermined by how they were clinging to him, "then I will never touch you again."   
  
"Yes you will," he hummed.   
  
They looked at him unimpressed, "and why is that?"   
  
"Because you love me," Elliott smiled in the way that made those golden freckles of his even brighter. "And I also happen to love you too."   
  
As much as Bloodhound wanted to continue teasing him, they couldn't help but smile instead. "Then you will have to keep hold of me as well," they said.   
  
"Fine by me," he agreed, "but we should also clean up."   
  
They looked up at him and blinked, "but you said I get to keep touching you."   
  
"Yes, but I meant after we cleaned up."   
  
"Mmm," they sounded deliberately unimpressed, "you should have specified that. I'm afraid now you're stuck here."   
  
"I was really right about that whole cat thing wasn't I," he muttered, "fine but just until we get gross."   
  
They didn't like that answer but still responded, "alright."   
  
"Alright."   
  
Bloodhound lifted up a hand to cup one side of his face and left a kiss on the other and whispered, "Elliott?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I love you."   
  
"I love you too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've noticed as I've started writing this is how important making this content has meant for me.  
> I'm sure some LGBT+ people reading these notes might relate to certain parts of this but when I was growing up as a wlw a lot of gay media was really terribly sexualised in a way that in hindsight wasn't positive or appealing for actual wlw. Something that as a young kid didn't exactly make me feel more comfortable exploring my sexuality, because duh. And then as I got more involved in social media like Tumblr, the new wlw stereotype was an extremely soft, calm, perfect pure woman who wants to chill and seemed to be a response to the sexualised LGBT rep common in the media. And that's a more positive image sure but it also has its problems. Anyway, I'm not sure why I'm saying all of this but the point is that being able to grow up and create your own LGBT content and being able to share and enjoy other people's content as well is really therapeutic.  
> So thank you all for reading along!


	11. Chapter Eleven

The two of them had only had the new couch for less than an hour and already, they both knew that it was going to be a welcome addition to the apartment.

The couch seemed worth it in the end. In the meantime, they had been plagued with delays and customs problems, all in all, it took almost a month for the couch to arrive. At one point they had considered cancelling it and going to somewhere local but they had decided against it.

It almost seemed fate that the couch would arrive on Elliott's final day of his magical imprisonment to Bloodhound's apartment.

Bloodhound was skimming over the details of a future hunt on their phone. Natalie had sent the details a few hours ago, it was another hunt that would require teamwork and it looked like the mission involved a rather unique and rare creature.

And Elliott was-

"Are your knees already sore _elskan_?" They murmured the question.

Elliott wasn't on the couch. They'd given him a flat pillow to rest his knees on while he sat on the floor in front of Bloodhound. They didn't want his knees getting sore, they'd planned for him to sit for while after all. He looked perfect like this, bright eyes staring up at them while his head rested against their thigh.

When he had first asked them to buy some rope, they hadn't anticipated the extent of his intentions but they were certainly glad for the result. Elliott had given them the instructions for how to tie it exactly how he wanted and Bloodhound had caught on quickly enough. It wasn't unusual that their traps would require rope, although they'd never used it in this manner before.

That rope made beautiful patterns along his skin, he'd asked for it to be tighter around his chest than anywhere else and Bloodhound had taken their time setting out that beautiful pattern. They'd taken equal pleasure as they'd begun to set out the pattern of knots that had kept his arms firmly straight behind his back, fists kept together. His legs had been last, setting him on his knees and letting his thighs rest on the back of calves. They knew that it was an awkward stretch but it was only another element that Elliott loved.

Bloodhound had asked Elliott if he was alright as they tied each knot and had given him a soft kiss on his forehead with each 'yes.'

In response to their question, Elliott let out a frustrated and long whine into their thigh where his head rested.

While in one hand, Bloodhound held their phone, in their other they kept hold of something more interesting. Elliott twitched and choked down a sound while they twirled his tail in their hand like an old phone cord. They could see that he wanted to struggle away from the sensation that had quickly become overwhelming with only a little bit of attention.

Of course, Elliott knew not to struggle too much where he was sitting, if he lost his balance it would be easy for him to fall over onto his side and the rope would make it impossible for him to get up.

More importantly, however, he didn't want to disappoint Bloodhound. So he sat there obediently, whining into their leg, trying to swallow down the sounds he made.

"Elliott, how are your knees?" They asked again. "You can always use your words."

He let out another frustrated noise and Bloodhound could feel the vibrations in their thigh. "I-It's fine - ah!" He yelped when they tugged a bit harder on his tail. "Not fair."

"The rope's not too tight either?"

"If something's wrong, I'll let you know," he promised.

They frowned but turned their attention back to their phone. They weren't used to this, perhaps something more intense in the spur of the moment during sex, a word or action, but not this careful preparation. Elliott might be the one on his knees, but he was in just as much control as they were.

The information on their phone was vital but it was impossible for Bloodhound to concentrate or memorize any of the details. They were about to reach the paragraph that laid out the den of the beast when they heard another whine from Elliott.

They smiled fondly and curled that tail around their finger tightly before letting it drop slack again. "I thought you said you were doing alright?" They teased.

"I w-want to touch you," he admitted, letting his head rest on their knee. "Please?"

"So well mannered," they smiled, "but unfortunately, no."

He exhaled and tried a lean a bit closer into them but to no use, "why not?"

They notched their head and leaned to the side to eye those tied arms, "you couldn't exactly touch me if you wanted to."

He tried to move his shoulders a bit more to try to loosen the ropes around his arms, a pointless endeavour and Elliott had to have known that.

"You promised you were going to stay still," Bloodhound reminded him.

Elliott opened his mouth to complain but was stopped in his tracks when Bloodhound stroked along his tail to reach that lovely heart-shaped tail and rub it between their fingers. The sensation was far too brief for Elliott's liking before they dropped his tail entirely.

"P-Please," he begged "just touch-"

"I was touching your tail as a gift Elliott," they told him, "but if you're not going to behave then I don't know if you deserve it."

He groaned and pulled his head off of their knee, instead choosing to rest it on the couch between their thighs. "That wasn't a gift," he argued, "that was just teasing."

"And you won't be getting any more attention until I'm convinced that you can behave," they told him and ignored the resulting whine that spilled out from him.

That other hand that had been playing with his tail was left to rest on their knee while they turned their attention back to the file. Wattson had proposed that they wait or attempt to lure the monster out before attempting to fight it, better that than its den. Although Bloodhound had their doubts, their den was already an enclosed area which the monster wouldn't be able to escape from if they cut off the only exit, a simple manner.

They were typing notes to adjust the strategy when they felt a warmth on their hand that was resting on their thigh. Little kisses, slowly and deliberately pressed onto their knuckles. They almost withdrew their hand, although they just refrained from doing so, if he was trying to prove how good he could be, then they couldn't think of a reason to stop him now.

When Elliott had finished, they kept their eyes on their phone when they lifted their hand and led him to rest his chin in the palm of their hand. Their thumb remained free, brushing back and forth over his lips. They'd never been one to indulge in patience but right now they would. They knew that this would only make it that much better in the end, that this was the tension that Elliott was seeking and Bloodhound was beginning to realise how intoxicating it could be.

They placed a bit more pressure on his lip and Elliott opened his mouth in answer. They let him lather attention onto that digit while they continued to read. It was almost impossible to keep their attention on that tablet, they let themselves have a small reward, brushing their thumb over his tongue and dragged it across the walls of his mouth.

Bloodhound tugged their thumb away and pulled back their hand. They could imagine the disappointed look on his face for a moment before their hand came back, slipping their index and middle finger inside his mouth. Elliott paid just as much attention and more to those fingers. They couldn't see Elliott's display but they could certainly hear it, he made sure to rock his head back and forth onto those fingers, sometimes pausing to gag around those fingers before pulling back to suck heavily on them again.

"Would you like to ask me again?" They murmured.

He lathed his warm tongue around those fingers a bit more before he fully pulled off with a nod. "Please let me touch you," he begged, "I want you to use me."

They swallowed heavily, letting those words rest in the air while they took him in again. Those wings were so beautiful, they'd been careful when tying those knots beneath where his wings began. As much as they wanted to outright pamper him, they also knew that this was another form that careful attention could take.

Bloodhound moved a bit closer to Elliott on the couch so that he wouldn't have to crane his neck with too much difficulty for what would come next. "Pull down the zipper to these pants _krúttið,"_ they told him. 

"My hands-"

"You don't need to use your hands yet," they interrupted him and spread their legs a little wider.

The small smile on his face showed in his eyes first. While he paused, Bloodhound turned their attention back to their phone, waiting for Elliott to start moving. They were surprised when they felt his mouth start on their inner thigh instead of going to straight for their zipper. It was a fight not to squirm, to pretend that they weren't entirely interested with Elliott while their eyes droned through layers of text of their phone.

The feeling was muted through their pants but they could still feel him mouthing at their thigh through the material. It only got worse as he mouth moved down their thigh, he followed the seam until he reached their crotch and began to mouth gently over that seam.

As much as it was fun to play the uninterested part, Bloodhound couldn't help it when their hand free hand moved to tip his chin away from them and tilted him so that he was forced to meet their eyes.

His eyes were bright gold when they looked up at them and positively innocent as if he trying to convince them that he had never thought of teasing them before.

"I believe I told you to pull down my zipper," they reminded him.

Those eyes stayed on theirs, their attention on their phone momentarily lost while he found the zip and began to drag it down. When the zip reached the bottom he leaned forward again to tug at the waistband of their underwear with his teeth only for Bloodhound to push him back.

"I can do the rest by myself," Bloodhound told him. He almost looked disappointed and with a smile, they stood up to unlace their boots and take off their pants as well.

When they went back to take a seat on the couch, they bent down to pick up Elliott's tail again and kept in within their grasp while they got comfortable.

He always got so whiny like this but it was something that they equally enjoyed. "Bloodhound please," he begged again. It may have been their name but in Elliott's mouth but he made it sound like a title.

They wrapped their hand around this tail and savoured the whimper that came from him when they tightly stroked him until they reached the end. "I've never met someone as shameless as you," they considered as they watched Elliott squirm in those bonds. "You look so sweet down there on your knees and you're happy to stay there aren't you?"

He nodded and rested his head back between their thighs again, the sensation too much to bear.

"And why are you happy to stay there?" They asked him.

Those eyes fought to stay open as they continued to play with his tail. "B-Because," he managed to say, "good pets aren't allowed to sit on the couch."

Even though his movement was limited he managed to lean enough into them that his erection rubbed against their leg. He let out a shudder when he felt the contact but didn't stop slowly grinding into them. The ropes binding his legs together didn't give him much room, but there was just enough to allow him to make little stuttering motions.

Bloodhound had to grind their teeth to stop the satisfied sound that would have come out. "That's right," they praised him, "but good pets don't get to hump people's legs either."

His snapped open and he pulled away like he hadn't even realised that he was doing it in the first place.

"I'm sorry-" he was already apologising when Bloodhound set their thumb back on his lip, a gesture to keep him quiet.

"It is alright _kærasti_ ," they said, "I'm sure you won't make the same mistake again."

He nodded rapidly, enough that those beautiful curls of his shook and they lifted their hand to pet through his hair adoringly.

While their thumb rubbed over his horn, they said, "you wanted to touch me? Then how about you demonstrate how good you can be."

Bloodhound didn't have to wait long for him to make a move. They felt his tongue first, not desperate like they expected it to be, slow enough that they might have mistaken it for teasing but it wasn't long before the pace increased. Warm and perfect while they raked their hands through his hair, clutching at his horns and playing with the texture of his shaved sides.

"Such a good boy," they praised, that phone was long forgotten. "You look so beautiful in that rope."

Elliott made another whimper that made him pause when they kneaded the tips of their fingers into his tail. Still, he made an effort to force his concentration back onto Bloodhound. As much as they loved his attention, they knew that they couldn't let him have his way too easily.

Another firm tug on his tail made him break off again. He took a moment to rest his head on the side of their thigh while he let out little panting sounds.

Still, Bloodhound encouraged him, "just like that, keep going."

"Hound-" he moaned.

"What's wrong Elliott?"

He shook his head and tried to open his mouth again but was cut off when Bloodhound curled his tail around their fingers again. "I can't f-focus when you d-do that," he protested.

"Do what?"

"You know what!" He snapped.

But Bloodhound couldn't wipe the smirk off of their face when they said, "you'll have to use your words pet."

His bit down on his lip for a moment before a "please" escaped his mouth.

"Please what?" They asked him.

A frustrated sound cracked in the back of his throat. "Please," he whimpered again, "please stop playing with my tail so I can pay you attention instead."

It was a good effort. But not one that Bloodhound was satisfied with.

"But I thought you wanted you to be touched?" They asked him.

He winced but mumbled, "I want to be good for you. Please let me."

They relaxed their grip on Elliott's tail and he gave a satisfied exhale before he laid a few more open-mouthed kisses on their thighs.

"Thank you Hound," was all he said before his mouth was back on them.

They would never get tired of this. Never get tired of how wet, how warm, how perfect his mouth was on them. How he'd pull back to take a deeper breath and his eyes would stay half-lidded only to blink open to look at them. Adorable, beautiful, theirs.

"You're such a good boy," they praised and their breath hitched when they felt him moan in response, vibrations from his mouth driving them closer and closer. "You look so good on your knees, I love that pretty mouth of yours, I love _you_."

They kept a hand around one of his horns, raking their nails across that beautiful texture that was much cooler than the rest of him. As if they had a respite to anything Elliott was doing to them, especially when those golden eyes of his looked up at them.

They wet their lip as they tugged at bit harder at this to feel Elliott moan against him again. "You're so good, so perfect Elliott," they rambled, "you'd stay down here all day if I asked, wouldn't you? Keep me warm while I worked and listen to my every order? I wonder how long I could have you in those ropes. I haven't forgotten about those toys you told me about."

Bloodhound had to pause to exhale and slow their breaths. They were never going to get used to that talented tongue of his, how it dragged along them and how nice his lips felt when he was content to be good and obey.

"I'd love to see how you'd look on a toy sitting here," they continued breathlessly. "I'd have to keep those ropes tight to stop you from rocking back onto it, wouldn't I? Gods - Ah! Just like that Elliott, make me cum just like that, my good boy-"

Their grip on his horns didn't let up while they grinded out the brunt of their orgasm into his mouth. Warm, wet, perfect, _theirs_. A deeper sound broke out of their chest as they came, Elliott's eyes concentrating on them. Those beautiful gold freckles and that messy mouth they adored. He didn't stop, not until those deeper sounds they made stopped and they had to bite down the higher-pitched whines and cries that came from them.

"I love you," Bloodhound managed to say once their mouth started working again.

Elliott laughed while he rested his head on his knee. "I love you too," he said a pressed a quick kiss on their knee, "also, does that I mean I can get a reward now?"

When they grinned, their smile was filled with teeth. "You're a good pet aren't you?" They cooed. "Go ahead."

He blinked, "uh, my arms-"

"I think you can manage just fine," they told him as they slid a leg between where they had used the rope to keep his legs spread. He really looked beautiful on display for them like this after all.

They had thought of this scenario exactly when they'd tied his legs earlier. Elliott had complained that there was a bit too much give for him to rock forward or buck his hips and Bloodhound had merely given a knowing smile and continued.

Elliott looked frustrated but he wasn't about to throw away this opportunity. Slowly, he began to test the ropes, seeing how much he room he had to grind onto their leg without losing his balance or potentially falling over.

"I think you're missing something Elliott," they teased, "what do we say when we're given a gift?"

He almost sobbed when his erection was given some relief. It wasn't anywhere near enough sensation for him to be content with but he still fumbled to say, "thank you."

They raised an eyebrow in response, "just thank you? I'm sure you can do better than that."

He bit his lip again and with an exaggerated sigh, Bloodhound began to withdraw their knee. Elliott whimpered and bucked his hips into the empty air. "Thank you, thank you," he rambled. "Thank you for tying me up like this, thank you for letting me touch you, thank you for letting me get off on your leg."

"That's it," they murmured and placed their leg back between his thighs so he could hump them. "You're doing so well Elliott."

Little broken sobs cracked from his lips as he grinded against them. It wasn't satisfying like he wanted this to be but he didn't another choice. He couldn't deny that it felt good after being teased by them for so long. He was too desperate to beg for more and let his eyes flutter as he humped their leg.

"Just focus on how it feels _elskan_ ," they told him, "You can do it, such a good boy. I know you had a lot of suggestions you wanted to try out but I don't think I could ever gag you when we do this, gods the noises you make…"

Bloodhound's hand to returned cup his face and instinctively he leaned into the feeling and began to lather their thumb again with his thumb. They gave a small laugh and placed two fingers but into his mouth to suck on while he desperately continued grinding against their leg. They felt every whimper and moan around their fingers as he tried to build the right momentum that would finally let him cum.

Eventually, he pulled away from their fingers, letting the drool slid down to his chin. "B-Bloodhound," he groaned, "I c-can't do it."

"Don't you want to come?" They teased and pressed their leg a bit further.

"W-Want you t-to touch me, I just need a bit more," he sobbed, "please-please-"

They made a tutting sound, "you can be so greedy, I'm not sure I should let you have any more than I've already given you."

"Please, please, please-"

"But I suppose you've been on your best behaviour," they considered.

"Yes, yes, yes-"

Bloodhound was quick to manoeuver him off of the ground and onto their lap. His tail was lashing behind him wildly and his wings moved with every deep exhale that he made.

For a moment, they considered teasing him but it left quickly when Elliott began to beg again and mouth around their neck. It was easy to stroke Elliott's cock when he was already slick with pre-cum and he was melting in their grip.

He let out little hiccups of breath with each twist of their hand, his mouth stayed close to their ear, letting them soak up every sound that he made. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he rambled, "I'm so close please Hound."

"You deserve it," they promised him, "cum for me my beloved, you did so good, I know you can accept your reward like a good boy as well."

His wings flared out when he came in their hand. His hips stuttered and rode out the rest of the orgasm while he continued to babble, "ah! Love you so much, so g-good, th-thank you…"

The rest of his weight slumped into them as they petted his head with their free hand. He was still panting into their neck, letting out little noises while he came back down from the high.

"Elliott," they murmured, "I need to untie you."

They felt him shake his head into their neck as he weakly protested, "I'm comfy."

"No you're not," they chastised him lightly.

When Elliott made no effort to move, Bloodhound decided to do it themselves. They slowly tipped him, making sure that his wings were splayed out to spread over the couch while he laid on his back. He would be laying on his arms, although Bloodhound knew that it was more important to get the rope off of his legs right now.

They untied him slowly, careful not to make a mistake or hurt him while he came down. With each knot that they untied they gave him a short kiss over the spot. Gradually, the rope around his legs came undone and Elliott let Bloodhound pull his legs out to stretch them while they rubbed over the spots that would've faced more discomfort.

It was tempting to stay there and massage his legs but they knew that they should get rid of the rest of the rope first. Elliott stayed pliant while Bloodhound flipped him over and began to untie the rope around his arms and back. He seemed glad to have that movement back but only exercised it but sliding a hand over paw at Bloodhound's shoulder.

Once he was completely rid of the ropes they let them drop to the floor. A part of them knew that they should take better care but they were far more concerned with Elliott.

"You're not hurt are you?" They asked them, running their hands over the areas where the rope had left lines.

"Nah," he waved them off drowsily. "I'm perfect, you're perfect. You did forget one thing though."

They narrowed their eyes, "what?"

He snickered to himself and poked them with a finger. "Ha," he said with a hint of victory on his tongue, "there goes the rule about allowing pets on the couch."

They merely rolled their eyes and ruffled his hair until he began to fuss. "I doubt you'll be spending that much time on the couch soon," they said.

"How long do we have until the spell fades?"

Bloodhound reached for their phone that had slipped behind a pillow and checked the time. "Less than fifteen minutes," they told him. "Although, I imagine that it's too late at night to get up to much."

"I can always run around your apartment building screaming," he offered.

"I thought your first idea would be to go see the nightlife around Solace."

He gave an exaggerated sigh and sat up to rest his chin on his palm. "You'd think so," he mourned, "but I'm afraid that my dating life has truly changed me. Also, I'm pretty sure that my legs are jelly at this point."

"Noted," they laughed, "perhaps tomorrow will bring more opportunities."

He raised an eyebrow while they both began to get dressed again and clean up. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. "You got something planned?"

Bloodhound let their long canines gnaw the inside of their cheek while they considered what to say. "Perhaps," they eventually settled on, "though I'd prefer for your first day out to be more exciting than what I had come up with."

"Well I wanted to go take a train and see my mum," he told them. "This whole thing has sort of given me a kick to clean up a bit. I'll tell her about how my plans fell through, maybe see if I can get some advice about illusion magic from her if I can."

"Illusion magic?" They repeated.

He gave a nervous laugh and leaned against Bloodhound. "I did say that I was interested in magic, I'm not that interested in alteration magic any more. My mum kind of was a pioneer in the field and uh, you know if she's up to it maybe she could help me out."

"And you'd be happy with that?" They asked him, not to doubt him, but always to make sure that he was driven by himself.

"I think it'll be fun," he hummed. "I'll learn some cool moves and see where I go from there. Hell, maybe I could join you and become a hunter."

They just snorted, "you wouldn't last five minutes against half the things I've fought."

"Ouch, well maybe I could be the bait or the distraction?"

"I must admit that I find you distracting," they told him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Would you like me to come with you?"

He paused for a moment and looked up at them. "Uh, are you sure? You don't have to," he hesitated, "being around her can sometimes be…Overwhelming for people. Makes them uncomfortable."

"I would like to support you," they told him. "I am not always the best around people…I'm not sure she would see me as the best company."

"C'mon you're great," he said and poked them in the side, "you're sort of cute when you're awkward. It's nice. And I'm still planning to get around to all that fun stuff don't you worry. We'll be able to do plenty of stuff now that I'll be able to leave."

They nodded in agreement. They were trying to figure out how to mention this to Elliott. They had begun considering it a little over a week ago. Perhaps at this point, they were overthinking it.

Bloodhound swallowed before they began. "Elliott, this might seem like something mundane that you don't want to deal with now. I'm sure that you'd rather spend your time doing something more interesting once you can go outside but-"

"Houndie," he interrupted. "Aren't I the one who's meant to do the rambling? What's on your mind?"

They clicked their tongue before they said, "your wings are too large to fully fit in the shower."

Elliott just looked confused but before he could say anything else, Bloodhound continued.

"And the kitchen doesn't have a lot of storage," they added. "The pantry isn't very big, the dining room is too small as well. The couch almost couldn't fit into the living room. I don't have any more room to put another bookshelf."

"You…" He trailed off. "Uh, what?"

Bloodhound groaned in frustration. They had come up with a script for this to rehearse in their mind and they were currently doing a terrible job at following it. 

"What I meant," they started to say, "was I moved into this apartment when I first came to Solace. I lived in this place because I thought it suited my needs. But I have new things I need and want now, I have you and I don't think this apartment is large enough for that."

"So you want to go apartment hunting?"

They reluctantly nodded, "I know that it is a tedious thing and it is something that does not have to be done now...But if you would like to join me then I would be glad."

He laughed before he gave them a quick kiss on their cheek, "I already said that I was happy to live with you here. Of course, I'd be happy to move somewhere else with you."

"Good," they said simply, "ah, that is good. I didn't want to bore you with something that might have seemed trivial."

"Houndie you are the furthest thing from boring," he grinned. "Wherever you go, I'll follow. We'll find somewhere nice, it'll have to allow pets for Artur."

They nodded in agreement, "it can't be anywhere in the city that's too polluted."

"There are some nice parklands on the other side of the city I think," Elliott added. "Renee lives around there. Probably means that she'll break-in at one point to steal food. I swear it's like she can teleport or something."

A place for them to find. A place for both of them, where they could build a life together. 

Bloodhound was smiling, pressing soft kisses on his cheek when they were interrupted by the loud ringing sound of the alarm on their phone.

Elliott immediately perked up, "is that-"

"It is," they answered immediately.

He just stared for a moment before he gave a nervous laugh. "It doesn't even seem like such a huge deal now," he pondered, "I swore that being stuck here was going to be the end of me, didn't expect it to turn out to be the opposite."

"Are you ready?" They asked him and slipped their hand into his.

With a nod, Elliott tugged them up from the couch and headed towards the door of the apartment. There was a coolness in the air, the weight of magic settling down, a sort of unused energy that was left to simmer instead.

He took a breath when he rested his hand on the handle for a moment. He gave a quick glance back at them before he pulled the door towards him and tentatively took a step out.

Elliott was silent, his toes curling into the carpet of the hallway of the building. The first time in a season since he'd been able to leave. His hand slipped from theirs as he moved out further and spun aimlessly around the hallway in disbelief. They could watch the nervous smile on his face that began to fight away that disbelief. That wagging tail of with those eyes and freckles like stars on his face were in full force.

"You coming?" Elliott asked as he began to take a few steps further down the hallway.

Bloodhound didn't hesitate to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone once commented that Elliott's tail was a boner activation cord and I'm never going to be able to stop thinking about that so thank you. 
> 
> But seriously, this has been such a wild ride and I've loved writing every word of this story and being able to read all of your beautiful comments and support along the way. I can only hope that you enjoyed it just as much as I did! :)


End file.
